Megan told us that Community Crops is a program of Family Service Lincoln. About Family Service Lincoln which was founded in 1891 - the first charitable organization in Lincoln. Programming is constantly evolving with the current conditions in the community and to meet the needs of families in Lincoln. Today, Family Service Lincoln supports:
- Behavioral Health
- Housing and Support Services
- Child Care Food Program
- Women, Infants and Children
- Youth Development
- Community Crops
Community Crops provides education, advocacy, and experiences to grow local food. They manage 19 acres of land around the city of Lincoln in Gardens, Farms and greenhouses.
Everything they do focuses on food security. She stated that addressing hunger has always been important, and our needs seem to continually grow. Looking at food insecurity - we probably won't starve in the United States. But, mom or grandma may skip a meal so the kids can eat, or they may need to decide between paying the electric bill or buying food.
Providing healthy food is a challenge. In Nebraska we don't grow much food. We have farms but they are growing crops for feed or fuel. We have a globalized and industrialized food system. During the pandemic our food security increased partly because of the fragility of supply chains.
Community Crops is working with local farmers to try to increase food production. That will help with getting healthy food to our residents. Items purchased locally puts dollars back into our economy. It also helps support the culture such as for New Americans because they can individualize their gardens.
Megan said that the garden program includes gardens throughout Lincoln so everyone should have access to a garden near them. The land is made available for the Community Crops program through partnerships - it is not owned by Community Crops. Gardeners apply to use plots for a fee. According to the website there is a sliding scale and some financial aid may be available. The use of the plot comes along with access to water and education by Community Crops staff. They currently have 9 gardens - they are always looking for more.
In 2023 there were 182 and 573 individuals participating in the garden program. 81% of those were from low-to-moderate income homes. 37% of the farmers were New Americans - coming from 29 countries with 22 different languages spoken.
Similar to the garden program, the farms provide the land and access to water as well as education. The farm program has a focus on entrepreneurship. So, the education is not only on farming but also running a business. Megan shared that many of the farms are used by new Americans. They often have extensive farming knowledge but are challenged with technology and the language. Last year there were 9 farmers and this year they have 12.One of the struggles for the farmer and growing their business is getting their products to market. Community Crops helps to get them to farmers markets. They make sure they can participate in programs such as SNAP which helps the consumer and farmer. The consumer can afford the product and the farmer gets full pay due to the SNAP payments.
There is a large Yazidi population using the gardens. The Yazidi population has grown to about 3,000, the largest in the U.S. They fled Iraq and have faced many challenges including overcoming trauma, learning English, finding jobs and keeping their culture alive. By having gardens, they can grow the foods that they need for their native recipes, make some money and become more comfortable here in Lincoln.
They currently have 3 farm sites. In 2023 there were 9 businesses leasing farm ground. They anticipate 12 farmers in 2024 predominantly beginning farmers and New Americans. Gross sales from the farm products was up 46% in 2023.
- In 2023
- 82 volunteers
- 278 attended Feast on the Farm - a progressive meal, locally sourced products, Lincoln's best chefs
- Over 200 participants Seed Swap - you can share seeds and gardening tips; do not need to bring seeds to participate
- Participation in ongoing advocacy/policy and organizing work around local food systems in our community
Megan announced that she is excited to work on the Food System Plan that was adopted by the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County in 2023. It is designed to enhance Lincoln’s food system by ensuring access to healthy food, invest in local food production, promote processes that protect the environment and reduce food waste.
BIO
Dr. Megan McGuffey is engaged in local food work across the state of Nebraska. She has served on the Nebraska Legislature’s Community Garden Task Force, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Food Policy Council, and the Local Foods Coordinating Council and Share Our Table in the Omaha-Council Bluffs region. Megan earned her Master of Public Administration in 2013 and her Ph.D. in 2020 from the UNO School of Public Administration. Her research focuses on food and farm policy broadly and her dissertation looked at the role of food policy networks in the local government policy process. She has co-authored food assessments for regional and statewide food policy organizations.