Meet Community Crops!
“We are so happy to be part of a network of farmers and to provide support to beginning and refugee farmers.”
For over 15 years, Community Crops has provided the city of Lincoln and surrounding areas access to local foods and resources to grow their own food. Community Crops has 9 community garden sites in Lincoln and a beautiful 5-acre training farm that they grow vegetables and herbs, as well as their most important crop: beginning farmers - people who grow food for themselves and their neighbors.
The Growing Farmers Program at Community Crops mission is to seek and facilitate opportunities for beginning farmers through lectures, farm tours, and hands-on workshops. Access to land and cost of beginning a small farm are both barriers to new and beginning farmers. To reduce these barriers, Community Crops leases land to beginning farmers at the Prairie Pines training farm at an affordable cost and farmers are given the chance to use a variety of tools provided through the program. Farmers out at Prairie Pines are given the opportunity to try new sustainable growing practices like drip irrigation, season extension with caterpillar tunnels, and using a paper-pot transplanter.
This year is the third year that Community Crops has worked with Yazidi refugees in Lincoln to provide space and opportunities in farming in a program called The Yazidi Farmer Outreach and Education Project.
"Community Crops wanted to get back to our roots and help this community thrive in their new home – the Yazidi Farmer Outreach and Education Project is the best way to do that. The Yazidi Farmer Outreach and Education Project hopes to offer Yazidis the chance at financial freedom, a healthier lifestyle and satisfaction in their job. Most Yazidis came from a home where gardening was a vital part of their life. This project will allow them to hone their innate skills and learn how to convert them into an income-generating small business or a career."
Increasing access to fresh foods in Lincoln with Veggie Van!
Community Crops also runs a mobile farmers market, The Union Bank & Trust Veggie Van, to increase access to fresh vegetables. The Union Bank & Trust Veggie Van moves around to different neighborhoods throughout the summer. For a full schedule, visit the Community Crops Mobile Market Webpage.
