A SARE sponsored sustainable ag tour on August 6th will be in eastern Nebraska around the Omaha Metro Area. The cost of the tour is $25.00 per person and includes bus transportation, water and sodas throughout the day on the bus and lunch.
Our first stop is at New Earth Farm & Goods, the farm of Jonathan & Catherine Dodd near Papillion. They are a growing woody polyculture and diverse farm, establishing a model of permanent and sustainable agriculture that works for the benefit of the land and people. They hope that their small farm will create big impact and give vision for what is possible and profitable through sustainable design. Their farm is about hospitality, community, and production.
The second stop on our tour is Meristem Farm & Nursery, owned and operated by Tom Lundahl and Shami Lucena Morse, near Papillion. It is a certified organic farm and nursery located on a 100-year-old farmstead at the south edge of metropolitan Omaha, near Papio Creek. Meristem Farm specializes in organic production of aronia berries, propagate native plants to sell at their nursery and also sell products at different farmers markets.
We will then travel to the Cooper Farm located in north Omaha. John Porter, Urban Ag Specialist with Nebraska Extension in Douglas-Sarpy County conducts AAS Crop Trials there and has a Refugee Gardening Program thethat y are doing with Omaha Home for Boys at the farm as well. Lunch will be catered from No More Empty Pots and served here. A representative from No More Empty Pots will tell about their program that helps get businesses started in the local food industry in Omaha.
We will then travel to Fort Calhoun and the surrounding area. We will visit Cure Cooking owned and operated by Chad Lebo. This butcher shop uses meat from animals grown locally, including the finest quality local meats: heritage breed pork, free-range chickens and Wagyu beef. Chad also conducts cooking classes.
We will then visit Little Mountain Ranch & Garden, the farm of Bill Alward & Family. This is a small family farm nestled in the bluffs above the Missouri River in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. They specialize in pasture and forest pork, grassfed beef & lamb, pastured poultry, market vegetables, and log grown culinary mushrooms. To bring you chemical free, all natural products they employ beyond organic practices and believe their role as stewards of the land is to regenerate not degenerate.
Our final stop of the day will be at the Barreras Family Farm recently relocated to their new farm near Blair. The Barreras raise several types of livestock and also provide education programs through several venues.
An air-conditioned coach bus will leave Super Walmart at 3400 N 85th St. in Lincoln, NE at 7:30 a.m. and travel to the Walmart near Gretna at 11350 Wickersham Blvd where we will have a second pickup site for tour participants from the Omaha area, departing at 8:15 a.m. We hope to return to Lincoln at about 7:00 p.m.
For more information or to register for the tour contact Gary Lesoing at (402) 274-4755 or at glesoing2@unl.edu or gary.lesoing@unl.edu . You can still register for the tour tomorrow as long as seats are available on the bus.
https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/nemaha/sare-diversified-ag-tour-august-6-2019/