FAMILIES
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Lattin Farms has been selling produce since the mid-50s, but it was only about 10 years ago that Rick and B.Ann Lattin set up a little stand across the driveway from their front door, reminiscent of those commonly seen years ago at dusty intersections of country suburbs. Word-of-mouth was the Lattin’s only advertising back then. Today, locals as well as thousands of out-of-town visitors anticipate the opening of the Old- Fashioned Roadside Produce Stand each season and have come to expect and appreciate the fresh, high-quality produce and friendly service at the ”produce stand right on the farm!”
The original Produce Stand used to sit a few feet south of this current one. With the arrival of the Summer of 2000, business demanded an expansion, so a new and larger Stand was built at the current location.
The silver pipes holding up the Produce Stand are the same pipes used in the construction of Hoover Dam. Water was run through the pipes during the 1931-36 construction to help cool the concrete. After the Dam was complete, the pipes were given to various mines in the region where they were used for pumping water to the facilities. Today, the pipes can still be spotted throughout southern Nevada, implemented in some very creative ways. For example, there’s a fence that surrounds a cemetery somewhere in the lower part of the state that’s partly made of—you guessed it—old Hoover Dam pipes. An ol’ miner friend of Bill Lattin’s donated the pipes to the Farm. (Bill is Rick’s father, and is known by most on the Farm as ”Grandpa.”) A few years ago, Bill cut the pipes into 16ft. lengths and hauled them up to Fallon.
Since 1977, the family has pioneered the production of red raspberries in Nevada. To its knowledge, Lattin Farms is the only grower of the berry in the state. Surprisingly, the warm desert days and cool, high-altitude nights allow the full flavor of fruits like berries and melons to thrive. Such conditions have made the Fallon area regionally-famous for the Hearts O’ Gold Cantaloupe, which has an unparalleled sweetness.
Rick Lattin explains that the Produce Stand is the heart of Lattin Farms, and is very special to the family and the Farm’s patrons. ”Truly, we enjoy leading people back to the farm experience,” Rick says. ”It’s important to Lattin Farms that we preserve and share authentic farm life and heritage, especially through our Old-Fashioned Roadside Produce Stand.”
