NID board OKs MOU with Nevada Union High School Farm on water efficiency

Nevada Irrigation District’s board has approved a memorandum of understanding with the Nevada Union Joint High School District to expand agricultural education and water-stewardship programs at the Nevada Union High School Farm in south Nevada County.

An NID news release dated Sept. 24, 2026, from Grass Valley says the 86-acre ranch, part of the high school’s career technical education program, supports hands-on training in animal science, agricultural business, agricultural mechanics and ornamental horticulture. District staff had met with school leaders several times because water is central to the site’s operations.

Under the MOU, NID and the school district will collaborate on educational programs, demonstrations, workshops, classroom activities and community events focused on agricultural water-use efficiency, best management practices, conservation and sustainable agriculture. Students may take part in lessons with NID staff, and the ranch may serve as a demonstration site for water-efficient practices. Each organization will designate a coordinator.

NID’s September 2026 general manager newsletter confirms the board approved the memorandum this month and describes it as a framework for joint work with no separate monetary contribution attached. The Union, covering the board action, likewise reported General Manager Jennifer Hanson saying the agreement memorializes a commitment to partner without a cash transfer and may support future efficiency and outreach efforts.

The partnership sits alongside other NID ag-education efforts highlighted in the same newsletter, including a new Agricultural Water Efficiency Committee that has begun surveying raw-water customers on irrigation use and barriers to on-farm improvements.

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