Programs
City Sprouts offers workshops and classes, online learning tools for educators, educational programming, and more to educate the community about gardening and healthy lifestyle choices. Click on our programs below for more details!
Programs
City Sprouts offers workshops and classes, online learning tools for educators, educational programming, and more to educate the community about gardening and healthy lifestyle choices. Click on our programs below for more details!
growing gardeners workshops
The Growing Gardeners Workshop Series is a collaboration between City Sprouts and The Big Garden. We work together to offer four seasons of hands-on workshops that feature skills and techniques for every gardener and urban farmer: growing, cooking, preserving and eating healthy local food. All workshops are free and open to all ages.
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Our workshops are broken up into three main tracks: Urban Ag School, Herbal Medicine Cabinet, and Culinary Workshops. We also have smaller workshops attached to various community events that we have throughout the year. Check out all of our workshop offerings on our Growing Gardeners website.
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We love having guest teachers from our community lead workshops! Are you knowledgable about a subject that you'd like to share in a workshop? Reach out to our Education Manager and explain what skills you'd like to share.
growing gardeners workshops
The Growing Gardeners Workshop Series is a collaboration between City Sprouts and The Big Garden. We work together to offer four seasons of hands-on workshops that feature skills and techniques for every gardener and urban farmer: growing, cooking, preserving and eating healthy local food. All workshops are free and open to all ages.
​
Our workshops are broken up into three main tracks: Urban Ag School, Herbal Medicine Cabinet, and Culinary Workshops. We also have smaller workshops attached to various community events that we have throughout the year. Check out all of our workshop offerings on our Growing Gardeners website.
​
We love having guest teachers from our community lead workshops! Are you knowledgable about a subject that you'd like to share in a workshop? Reach out to our Education Manager and explain what skills you'd like to share.
2020 Annual Report
Letter from the DIrector
Dear Friends of City Sprouts,
It has been such an honor to be a part of the 25th growing season at City Sprouts! While very little went as planned, 2020 was a year that exemplified the best of City Sprouts and the Omaha community. After the pandemic closed our Education Center in March of 2020, we feared what the future would hold, but the challenges allowed us to grow and expand our reach in new and exciting ways.
As lines at food pantries grew longer, we knew we had to find a way to respond. This led to the addition of three new urban farm sites and an increase in our food production goal to almost 20,000 pounds! This was made possible through partnerships with nonprofits to access land, share resources, and cultivate the land. Fresh, local produce has been distributed throughout the Omaha community through food pantries, nonprofits tackling food insecurity, and innovative approaches to farmer's markets, including free farm stands and a pay-what-you-can farmer's market.
Our educational programming shifted quickly to the virtual environment, with Little Sprouts and Growing Gardeners workshops reaching more people than ever before. Our community gardens provided not only a space for growing food but also a safe place to come together as a community (six feet apart, outside, with masks and sanitizer!). The Urban Farming Internship kicked off a bit late and split into small groups at our various sites, but was a huge success and made our production goal possible.
We have a renewed sense of hope that in 2021, we will be able to once again gather in our spaces to grow and learn together. City Sprouts North is anticipating the addition of a Geodesic Greenhouse Learning Space and City Sprouts South is planning major upgrades to the community garden beds. We will continue to expand our food production at various Urban Farm sites and food distribution programs. In-person learning will resume as soon as it is safe to do so, with exciting new virtual options being planned for early 2021.
We are full of gratitude for all that was possible in 2020 and all that will be in 2021, thanks to our amazing funders, donors, volunteers, and partners.
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Katie Kresha
Executive Director
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2020 Highlights
PROGRAMS BY THE NUMBERS
In 2020 we had 15 interns between 3 teams. They worked hard for over 20 weeks, with our first ever extended internship that included virtual learning sessions and homework as well. They were part of growing nearly 14,500 pounds of food that was distributed to the community through farmer's markets, free farm stands, CSAs, food banks, and more.
summer urban farming internship
Meet our interns & Team Leads
Find out more about each intern by clicking on their images below.
 Jasmine |  Hser |  Jean |
|---|---|---|
 Justine |  Mae Paw |  Taeh |
 James |  Mia |  Cassie |
 Carmina |  Ella |  Maira |
 Laura |  Alex |  Jay |
 Kjirsti |  Sye |  Taeh |
 McKenzie |
The following individuals, foundations, and organizations have supported City Sprouts in 2020, making our programming possible. We also thank all of the community members who have made donations and volunteered their time!
Aaron Anderson
Abbie Kretz
Abbie Devoe
Abigayle Hansen
Abiola Kosoko
Adam Kalin
Addie Gengenbach
Aislinn Rookwood
Albert & Valerie Varas
Alex Larson
Alexandra Goswami
Alexis Kline-Stearns
Ali Clark
Alicia Magnette
Allison Sutton
Ally Morris
Alyssa Miller
Alyssa L. Beebe
Alyx Olney
Amanda Mixan
Amanda Stender
Amber Markham
Amis Family Foundation
Andrea Butler
Andrew & Marsha Jameton
Angela Dixon
Angie & Michael Hempel
Ann Hosford
Anna Kolterman
Anna Hartman
Annie Schenzel
Anonymous
Arbor Day Foundation & Lied Lodge
Ashley Flater
Aubury Krueger-Kutchara
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church
Becky Grosserode
Berkshire Hathaway Energy
Bob & Nita Kelly
Brent Lubbert
Brent Crampton
Brenton Gomez
Bridget Battafarano
Brittani & Jerome Tanhueco
Brittany Dabestani
Cait Caughey
Caitlin Ellis
Caitlin Benton
Candace Longwell
Candy Zollicoffer
Carol Dennison
Carol Mellick
Carol Russell
Carolyn Boynton
Carrie Eidsness & William Bugert
Cassidy Stefka
Cassie Goulet
Catherine Bloom
Cathy Schnieders
Cecilia Saavedra
Cha Khang
Charlie Dukes
Chelsea & Andrew Burdic
Chris Stratman
Chris Feuerbach
Chris Graver
Chris Redding-Wagner
Christina Flaherty-Colling
Christine Scott
Christine Olson
Cindy L. Boettner
Cindy Humphreys
Cindy Humphrey
Ciprianna Engel
City Sprouts
CJ Hohman
Claudia & Tony Deeb
Claire M Hubbard Foundation
Clifton McEvoy
Clyde and Mary Anna Anderson
Cody Bruechert
Collective for Youth
Colleen Dostal
ConAgra Brands
Corey Lynch
Courtney Herrington
Courtney Gerdes
Cox Charities
Crazy Gringa Hot Sauce
Creighton University
Crystal Gale
Curt Safranek
Cythia Fraiser & Chad Lebo
Cynthia Doerr
Dakota Stock
Dan Kresha
Dan Stoney
Daniel Hawkins
Daniel Rosmann
Daniel Walsh
Daniel Roberts
Danielle Bode
Danielle Arroyo
Dara Pagano & Jeffrey Wyatt
Daren Konda
David Corbin
David J. Watts
David Harding
David & Whitney Goldner
Dawaune Hayes
Deborah Covert
Debra Knight
Dee Ann Ann Bowen
Del Bharath
Denise Bash
Diane Mattern
Donna & Dennis Flood
Dorothy Dombeck
Dr. Osanka Lockridge & Dr. Larry Schopfer
Dr. Rebecca Anderson & Dr. Bill Minier
Drew & Rebecca Dietle
Duncan Murphy
Echelle Childers
Eldred Foundation, Inc
Eleanore Tiehen
Elizabeth Ryan & Stephen Langan
Elizabeth Rogers
Elle Lien Lynch
Ellen Veazy & William Wishart
Emily Prauner
Emily Hassenstab
Emily Barker
Erika Latimer
Erika Rodriguez
Erin Higgins
Erin Van Zee
Erin Manly
Erin Nicole Parish
Erin Bearinger
Evelyn Katz
Farmers National
First National Bank
General Mills
George Patenode
Geri Gengenbach
Gillian Cromwell
Gina Serratore
Gina & Jerry Kwiatkowski
Grace Thomas
Green Omaha Coalition
Hannah Snow
Heidi Thomson
Hillary Stickler
Ilene Arnold
Immanuel Vision Foundation
Jack Round
Jackie Bulling
Jacob Throwe
Jacquline Smith
Jaimee Trobough
James Luyten
James Winner
James & Regina Kyler
Jane Wilson
Jane Hartig
Jaros Family Foundation
Jaymes Sime
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Jeana Hartnett
Jeanne DeMars
Jeff Phelps
Jeff & Mary French
Jeffrey Cassler
Jen Carroll
Jenni Herchenbach
Jennifer Hopwood
Jennifer Wallace
Jeremy Stanosheck
Jerrold Tipler
Jerry Latimer
Jesse Harding
Jessica Perrigan
Jessica & David Clark
Jetton Charitable Fund
Jillian Roger
Jo Bartikoski & Don Westling
Joan Carnaby
Joanne McDonald
Jodi Benenson
Jodie A. Haferbrier McGill
Jody Durand
Joel Walker
Johanna Peterson
John Pollack
John Cavanaugh
John & Wende Kotouc
John Paul Lehn
Jose Labrador
Joseph Smith
Josh Gillman
Josh & Dana Bartee
Judy & Randy Pfeifer
Julia Joslyn
Julianne Harm
Justin Kemerling
Kaeli Samson
Karen Campbell
Kassandra Mayo
Katherine Brown
Katherine Townsend
Kathryn Blesener & John Royster
Kathy Lalley-Dewell
Kathy Ross
Katie Grant
Katie Broman
Katie Whitmore
Katie Kresha
Kay Wilwerding
Kayla Meyer
Kelli Sweet
Kelly Dubay
Kelly Mcdonald
Kelly Lesser
Kelly & Sue Nicklin
Kent Cisar
Kim Neumann
Kimbler Harrold
Kirby Simmering
Kristen Pearson
Kristen Walsh
Kristin Valadez
Kristina Hughes
Kristine Born
LaLeesha Haynes
Lauren Marolis
Leah Wyatt
LeAnne Kaiser
Leigh Shaw
Lillian James
Linda Duckworth
Linda Butler
Linda Schlunsen
Linda Wedberg-Kraft
Linda & Josh Hall
Lindsay Surdell
Lisa Moritz
Lisa Neitzke
Lisa Broadway-Savage
Lisa Rothman
Logan Deckard
Lori Seehausen
Lori Jorgenson
Lorna Walker
Lucia Schulz
Lydia Sand
Lynn McCormack & Gail Herbst
Lynne Grosvenor
Mackenzie Dehmer
Maggie Sedivy
Marci Baker
Margaret Andreasen
Margaret Johnson
Mariah Anderson
Marianna Foral
Marilyn Hoegemeyer
Marisa Faulkner
Mark Wiesman
Marlina Davidson
Martha Oconnor
Martha Younglove
Martie Wagner
Mary Carollo
Mary Hahn
Mary Koneck-Wilcox
Mary Adams
Mary Current
Mary Zeleny
Maryl Range
Matt Wettengel
Matt Darling
Matthew Kaipust
Megan Loberg
Megan Van Alstine
Megan Lauvetz
Megan Martin
Meghan Walsh
Melinda Sorenson
Melinda Sommerfeld
Melissa Wulf
Melissa Wurth
Melissa Bolton
Melynda Walsh
Michael Combs
Michael von Weihe
Michael Breen
Michael Ducey
Michael & Holly Dzyban
Michelle McMorris
Midstates Marketing
Mike Scofield
Minier Family Fund
Mitch Karas
Molly Fogarty
Molly Nicklin & Luke Armstrong
Monica Chapeau
Mr. Rizzo
Ms. Carroll
Ms. Herrington
Ms. Kaiser
Ms. Matousek
Mu Poe Loe
Mulhall's
Nancy Williams
Nancy Jorgensen
Nancy Parsons
Nancy Johnson
Nancy Crews
Nathan Morgan
Neha Thakkar
Network for Good
Nicki Gassen
Norene Ryks
Octavia Butler
Omaha Community Foundation
Omaha Gives!
Omaha West Rotary Club
Patricia Seivert
Patricia Gobel
Patrick & Nina Swanson
Patti Johnson
Patty Carlson
Patty Tipler
Paul Fraynd
Phyllis & Norman Choat
PJ & Patricia Hassenstab
Polly & Frank Partsch
Rachal Oliva
Rachel & Don Novak
Rebecca Moshman
Rebecca Kuehn
Rebecca & Brent Bloom
Rebekah Pilypaitis
Reginald & Nancy Boyer
Renee McArthur
Renee Kreifels
Rhiannon Duma
Richard Brooke Foundation
Rick Kelley
Robbins Family Charitable Foundation
Robyn Murray Schriner
Roger Carroll
Roger duRand
Ronni Schacht
Rosanne Dunivan
Roxanne C. Draper
Rozanne Murphy
Ryan & Jessica Litherland
Samuel Petto
Sandy Mickey
Sara Waugh
Sara Eliason
Sara Salkeld
Sarah Owen
Sarah Buettenback
Sarah Svacina
Sarah Osborn
Sarah Stanislav
Sarah Jordan
Sawyer Stender
Seana Fairchild
Semerad Foundation
Sena Bollman
Seth & Katie Swanson
Shannon Beck
Shannon Kyler
Sharon Kresha
Shawn McGrath
Shelley Ernst
Shelli & Marie Mayer
Sherman & Kristie P Willis
Sherri Brown
Sherwood Foundation
Shirley J. Rooker
Sierra Karst
Skyler Jesz
Sonya & Christian Gray
South Omaha Historical Society
Stacey Follon
Stacy Hughes
Stacy Hess
State Farm AVP
Stephanie Kidd
Stephanie Barelman
Stephanie Finklea
Steven Freeman
Susan Aschinger
Susan Witkowski
Susan A. Koenig
Susan Risney
Susan Seadschlag
Susan Hunter
Sysco
Tammy Simpson
Tazah Weinmaster
Tiffany Devereaux
Tim Held
Tim Lind
Timothy Gilg
Tom Vann
Tom Kroll
Tracey Bendams
Tracy Stromquist
Travis Sholin
Union Pacific
United Way of the Midlands
Valentin Babias
Valerie Anderson
Weitz Family Foundation
Wendy Phillips
William & Ruth Scott Family Foundation
Yolanda Gilmore
2020 DONORS
2020 Staff
City Sprouts 2020 Staff Pictured left to right:
Addie Gengenbach, Communications Manager | Laura Simpson, Program Coordinator | Aaron French, Farm Manager | Katie Kresha, Executive Director | Jasmine Marr, City Sprouts South Garden Manager | Shannon Kyler, Community Engagement Coordinator | Cian Brun, Education Manager
[Not pictured] Alex O'Hanlon, former City Sprouts South Garden Manager | John Huebscher, Urban Farm Manager
2020 Board
2020 Board Pictured (left to right)
Back Row: Kirby Simmering, Cassie Goulet, Jose Labrador, Kimbler Harrold, Dan Walsh (Board President), Courtney Harrington, Katie Kresha (Executive Director), Octavia Butler (Secretary)
Not Pictured: Brittani Tanhueco (Vice-President, LeAnne Kaiser (Treasurer), LaLeesha Hayes, Joey Vickery
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New in 2020: LaLeesha Hayes, Joey Vickery, Courtney Harrington
Letter from the president
When City Sprouts was first founded in 1995, community members came together to create “a peaceful place for people to experience the joy of being around growing plants,” a place that offered education and distributed food to the community. 25 years later, that original idea has never been more important.
Our community is longing for a place to experience joy, to learn skills and techniques for empowerment, and to have access to fresh food. But this pandemic has left so many people feeling isolated, underemployed and feeling hopeless, and fighting to get food on the table. Indeed, Covid-19 and the resulting economic fallout has caused a significant increase in food insecurity, disproportionately affecting children and communities of color.
With your help over this past year, City Sprouts expanded our sites to produce over 15,000 lbs of produce, grown by our summer urban farming interns and distributed to locations throughout Omaha.
As we head into winter and look ahead to spring, we know hunger will remain an issue. In solidarity with our neighbors and fellow urban agriculture organizations, we hope you will partner with us in 2021 to ending hunger by supporting City Sprouts.
Sincere thanks,
Dan Walsh
2020 Board President
