2019 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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summer urban farming internship

city sprouts north interns

At City Sprouts North and our Decatur Urban Farm, we had the pleasure of working with 13 interns who shared our passion for growing, cooking and preserving delicious local food. Together they helped manage the ¼ acre Decatur Farm, harvest produce for a weekly farm stand and CSA program, assist in educating youngsters in the Little Sprouts program, and formed a tight-knit group of future leaders dedicated to improving the environment, their communities and themselves!

city sprouts South interns

This year we had 3 interns at City Sprouts South. The interns helped to build our hugelkulture beds, lead volunteers in garden tasks, facilitate our garden classes for kids, maintain our gardens, prepare and deliver our weekly CSA, and harvest and process culinary and medicinal herbs. 2 Interns, Juan and Mia, stayed on for an extended internship throughout the month of September and helped us maintain our late season gardens, put the garden to bed, and save seeds.

Meet our interns

Find out more about each intern by hovering on their images below.

saving local seeds

seed of the year

The Seed of the Year program started in 2019 as a collaboration between City Sprouts, The Big Garden, Big Muddy Urban Farm, and Omaha Public Library. The goal of the program is to increase the amount of locally saved seed available in Omaha and to encourage Omaha residents’ ability and confidence around saving seed.

2019’s Seed of the Year was the Rattlesnake Bean! Seed packets and a growing and seed saving guides were provided free of charge at City Sprouts and all of the partner locations.

By the end of the season, the seed had been locally grown and saved and were redistributed to community members, stocked at our organizations for future use, and became part of the Omaha Public Library Common Soil Seed Library!

seed school

In 2019 City Sprouts partnered with The Big Garden to host Omaha's first annual Seed School, taught by our staff who were trained at the Rocky Mountain Seed Alliance Seed School. This 2-day intensive course for gardeners, farmers, seed savers, and seed stewards taught topics on seeds like the history of seeds, planning for seed saving, and isolation techniques. On the second day, attendees also got some hands-on experience at cleaning and processing seeds. Through Seed School, we hope to build a local network of seed savers committed to preserving biodiversity.

cultivadoras

Siembra Salud program

City Sprouts South served as a partner in the launch of the Siembra Salud program with Latino Center of the Midlands, CHI, Nebraska Extension, and One World. The program sends cultivadoras, or family garden instructors, to help provide education and resources for families to build, grow, and maintain their own garden. City Sprouts South provided plants for the home gardens as well as training for the Cultivadoras and classes on fermentation and canning. The program served 19 families and those families were able to grow over 1500lbs of produce!

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!

Mary Adams

Jimmy Albin

Mary Allen

Jane Alseth

Emily Andersen

Valerie Anderson

Clyde & Mary Anna Anderson

Rebecca Anderson

Approach Climbing Gym

Arbor Day Foundation

Archetype Coffee

Kim Armstrong

Susan Aschinger

John Ball

Katie Barr

Josh & Dana Bartee

Alyssa Beebe

Bellevue Berry Farm

Kelli Bello

Jacqueline Bendon

Rae Berry

Laurie A Bishop

Catherine Bloom

Aimee Boer

Jackie Borcyk

Elizabeth Bouza

Dee Ann Bowen

Angela Brown

Judy Brun

William Bugert & Carrie Eidsness

Chelsea Burdic

Tim & Cindy Burns

Theresa Ann Bush

Octavia Butler

Virginia Cabezas

Joan Carnaby

Rebecca Carr

Cait Caughey

Leigh and John Cheloha

CHI Health

Kent Cisar

Claire M Hubbard Foundation

Jessica & David Clark

Jennifer Collis

Michael Combs

Confectionist Omaha

Sam & Paula Cooper

Deborah Covert

Doug Craven

Crazy Gringa Hot Sauce

Creighton Athletics

Creighton Federal Union

Creighton University

Robert J Crisler

Gertrude Crosby

Mary Current

Pamela Davis

Sarah Dawson

Claudia & Tony Deeb

Yolanda Delgado

Dhana Devanaboyina

Barbara J. Dilly

Mary Drake

Mark & Roxanne Draper

Ben Drickey

Melinda Drickey

Linda Duckworth

Durham Museum

Ellen & Jack Duysen

Edge Body Boot Camp

Ciprianna Engel

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Entrap Games

Shelley Ernst

Chris & Seana Fairchild

Marshall & Mona Faith

Filmstreams

First National Bank

Fontenelle Forest

Jessica Foreman

Cynthia Frasier & Chad Lebo

Jeff French

David Fulton

Fuzzy's Taco

Crystal Gale

Adelynn Gengenbach

Sara Going

Virginia J. Goomis

Sonya & Christian Gray

Mary Green

Natural Grocers

Mary Sue Grossman

Harold Hall

Jane L Hamer

Lisa Hammond

Shannon Hansen

Julianne Harm

Jane Hartig

PJ Hassenstab

Heartland B-Cycle

Tim Held

Angie & Michael Hempel

Marvin Henderson, Sr.

Robert Hess

Hilton Omaha

Marilyn Hoegemeyer

Alex Hook

Amanda Huckins

J Coco

Marsha & Andrew Jameton

Jaros Family Foundation

Taylor Jespersen

Jetton Charitable Fund

Sarah Johnson

Eric Johnson

Nancy Jorgensen

Kimberley & Michael Joyce

LeAnne Kaiser

Adam Kalin

Karma Yoga Omaha

Tara K. Karolski

Evelyn Katz

Ranae Keckeisen

Richard Kelley

Justin Kemerling

Kendra Scott

Tim Kerkhove

Cheryl Kessell

Anne Konen

John & Wende Kotouc

Larry Kurtz

James and Regina Kyler

Jose & Isabel Labrador

Kathryn Lalley Dewell

Andrea Lang

Steve Langan & Liz Ryan

Nicholas Langel

Shelby Larson

Erika Latimer

Le Jardin Garden Club

Kristy Leahy

Stephanie Lee

Christiane Ley

Ryan Litherland

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Oksana Lockridge & Larry Schopfer

Brent Lubbert

Lucky Bucket

Gina Lypaczewski

Clare Maakestad

Paul J Maakestad

Rachel Mabey

Anne Machian

Catherine Mahern

Adrianne Marinkovich

Marriott Downtown Omaha

Megan Martin

Stephanie Matejka

Diane Mattern

Morgan Matya

Ed & Carrie May

Shelli Mayer

Mayor Jean Stothert City of Omaha

Chris McClellan

Michael McClellan

Lynn McCormack

Clifton McEvoy

Loretta McNally

David & Josie Metal Corbin

Minier Family Fund

Nathan Morgan

Mr. Toads

Mulhall's

Duncan Murphy

Barbara Naughtin

Donna Neff

David Newman

Kelly and Drew Nielsen

Amy Niles

Terri O'Brien

Christine Olson

Cole Otto

Matthew Owens

Anne Ozar & Ashley Hall

Allan Pacholski

Mike and Jen Parker

Nicole Partusch

George Patenode

Robert Patterson

Paul & Oscar Giger Foundation

Jessica Perrigan

Carol Pinard-Cronin

Krista Polito

Deanna Polk

John Pollack

Francie Prier

Athena Ramos

Matthew Reinarz

Danny Reyes

Michael Rhoades

Fred Robertson

Chris Robie

Chris & Tom Rock

Kenny Rocker

Rockstar Party Bus

Jillian Roger

Rotary Club of Omaha- North

Jack & Nancy Round

John Royster & Katie Blesener

Trevor Sandige

Cathy Schneiders

Schwab Charitable
Lindsay M. Miller & Peter W. Ambler Charitable Fund

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Nicole Schwarz

Lourdes Secola

Seim Johnson, LLP

Patricia Seivert

Donald & Cheryl Schendt

Anthony Selting

Semerad Foundation

Kirby & Megan Simmering

Paul Simon

Spencer's

Jeremy Stanosheck

Hillary Stickler

Chris Stratman

Sunset Hills Garden Club

Patrick & Nina Swanson

Sysco

Brittani Tanhueco

Brandon Taylor

April Lynn Taylor

Ted and Wally's

The Bee Cause

The Grey Plume

The Grove Juicery

Grace Thomas

Susan Thomas

Sharon Thonen

Jerllyn Thurber

Debra & Charles Tomek

Top Nails

Katherine Townsend

Antoinette Tribulato

Allyson Tripplett

Jaimee Trobough

Josh Turner

Kathleen Turner

Nick Tvurdy

Union Pacific

United Way for Southeastern Michigan

University of Nebraska Foundation

Vala's Pumpkin Patch

Megan VanAlstine

Nancy Vander Sluis

Albert & Valerie Varas

Laura von Roenn

Dan Walsh

David Watts

Dan Watts

Barbara Weinberg

William Weiss

Katie Weitz

Weitz Family Foundation

Ken and Valerie West

Jo Bartikoski & D.E. Westling

Matt Wettengel

Whole Foods

Nancy Williams

Eric Williams & Kristine Hull

John Williams

Sherman & Kristie Willis

Adam & Kylie Wilmes

Jane Wilson

Kay Wilwerding

James Winner

Ryan Wishart and Liz Veazy

Debbie Wyatt

Ali Clark Yahnke & Scott Yahnke

Ali Yahnke

Jeff Zaleski

Leanne Ziettlow

Cassandra Zywiec

City Sprouts 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 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