Food Day 2022 Award Nominees and Bios
Please read the bios of our Food Day 2022 award nominees to help inform your voting!
Producers
Omaha Sunflower Cooperative
Our mission is to replenish, strengthen, and elevate the BIPOC community (black, Indigenous, and people of color) and the members of the cooperative with community-sustained nutritional and financial support. We are committed to fostering holistic relationships between local BIPOC growers, farmers, and business owners to reclaim and cultivate our collective cultural wisdom.
Barreras Family Farm
Feeding the Body, Enriching the Mind. Barreras Family Farm is located in Blair and also has a Farm to Table Market in Omaha. The Barreras family raises grass-fed, grass-finished beef and pork. They also collaborate with farmers across Nebraska to bring fresh local produce to customers in their Omaha storefront. The family combines their passion for sustainable agriculture with educating the community through online and in-person farm and business classes, mentorship and advocacy. They continually connect with the community via partnerships with Operation Feeding Families and Open Door Mission to minister to the homeless in the Omaha area.
ShadowBrook Farm
ShadowBrook Farm and Dutchgirl Creamery is a CSA family farm and creamery in Lincoln. A 34-acre diversified farming operation, ShadowBrook Farm is committed to sustainable farming practices and being a good steward to the land. Since 1996, the ShadowBrook team has sold vegetables at the Shadowbrook Country Market, and at farmers’ markets, retail stores, and restaurants in Lincoln and Omaha. In 2006, they started milking goats and making their award-winning goat cheese. ShadowBrook Farm also raises hogs and laying hens, supplementing their feed with whey (a by-product from the cheese-making process).
Each year, ShadowBrook Farm grows cut-flowers and plant cover crops on about one-third of the vegetable ground. The farm also includes dairy goats that provide milk for cheese production and compostable material as a rich by-product. While the farm is not currently certified organic, ShadowBrook does not use GMO-seed, chemical fertilizer pesticides, or herbicides not approved for use in organic standards. In addition, the team offers a Flex-style Farm-share that enables customers to pre-pay seasonally for vegetables, cheese, pork, and flowers which they can select throughout the season (May-December).
Rosmann Family Farms
Rosmann Family Farms, a business owned and operated by Ron and Maria Vakulskas Rosmann and sons, is located four miles northwest of Harlan, Iowa. Raised on the property, Ron has farmed the land since his graduation from Iowa State University in 1973. Rosmann Family Farms consists of 700 acres of corn, oats, soybeans, barley, popcorn, turnips, pasture, and hay. The farm has been certified organic since 1994, the beef operation since 1998, and pork operation since 2004. The operation generates about 1,000 tons of compost annually from the livestock to replace chemical fertilizers.
Rosmann Family Farms is certified organic by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The cow-calf operation is an important part of the organic picture, and the Rosmanns strongly support the use of rotational grazing practices. The Rosmanns are known for their diversification and intensive use of research and experimentation in seeds, animals, and organic agricultural procedures. They also have a 60-sow certified organic farrow-to-finish hog operation and raise organic chickens annually.
Long Walk Farm
Long Walk Farm is a small farm in Council Bluffs working toward sustainable agriculture, raising heritage and other unique breeds of livestock. All produce and livestock are raised naturally and sustainably. The Long Walk Farm team grows produce such as peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, garlic, and herbs, which are available for purchase at local farmers markets.
Restaurants
Table Grace Café
Table Grace Ministries was founded by Simone and Matt Weber in 2008, and since then has expanded to include Table Grace Café, Mobile Grace Food Truck, music outreach, catering, and job experience as part of how they are “Nourishing Hungry Bodies and Souls.” Table Grace Café is Omaha’s premier donation-based café and has been operating as such for over 10 years! The café serves lunch Monday through Saturday in downtown Omaha and its patrons are those who live and/or work in the area including attorneys, working poor, executives, and the homeless.
At Table Grace Café, everyone is given the opportunity to access a healthy meal, fellowship among people who become like family, and an invitation to give of themselves whether that is through their time, talent or resources. Volunteer opportunities and a 10-day Job Experience program assist people in re-entering the workforce. A majority of the staff who carry out the operations of the food truck, café, and catering operations are people who have risen through the ranks at Table Grace, either originally entering our doors as a homeless patron, 10-day Job Experience participant, or court-appointed volunteer. Table Grace also assists trainees in finding work in mainstream restaurants by assisting with resumes and job leads whenever possible.
Gather in Omaha
Located in Omaha's historic Old Market, Gather in Omaha serves modern-eclectic American cuisine and craft cocktails in a casual-yet-chic atmosphere. The restaurant is also home to Omaha’s first and only urban vertical farm: Gather Urban Farm. Complete with a farm viewing area, the on-site urban farm provides fresh produce for Gather's dishes and cocktails while providing Omahans a first-hand look at the hyperlocal farm-to-table greens that are grown and used throughout the menu.
The Gather Urban Farm grows a variety of greens, from sweet basil and peppery arugula to crispy kale. With supply chain disruptions and produce being recalled from contaminations, the urban farm offers cleanliness, purity and dependability in a self-contained, controlled environment. The Gather team also recycles water through reverse osmosis – reducing usage by 95% compared to traditional farms – and never uses herbicides, pesticides or chemicals. Farm fresh basil from the Gather Urban Farm is now available for purchase at Wohlner's Neighborhood Grocery & Deli.
Twisted Cork Bistro
After a two-year hiatus during COVID-19, Twisted Cork Bistro has now reopened for walk-in customers. Since 2008, Twisted Cork has served local,
natural food, handcrafted ales, spirits, and Pacific Northwest wines. Originally from Seattle, owners Darrell and Laura Auld create recipes that meld their favorite Northwest products and with renowned goods of the Heartland. The Aulds also operate Pacific Eating House, which is now open for dine-in customers.
Sandwich Proper
Sandwich Proper is a small business created and managed by two longtime friends and Omaha natives. The team offers cooked to order sandwiches available at the Aksarben Village Farmers Market and customizable catering experiences. Home to "Nebraska's Finest Breakfast Sandwich," the sandwich shop is regularly featured at the Omaha Farmers Market, using fresh ingredients such as garlic, sage, house-made jam, cheddar, organic eggs, and butter. Farm fresh ingredients come from local vendors, including Kalona Creamery, Lone Tree Foods, Farm Table Delivery, Jisa's Farmstead Cheese, and Erstwhile Farms.
Sage Student Bistro
Located at the Institute for the Culinary Arts on Metropolitan Community College's Fort Omaha Campus, Sage Student Bistro is a student-operated restaurant serving lunch and dinner. Sage Student Bistro operates as a customer-focused classroom providing students an opportunity to refine their culinary, bakery, service, and supervisory skills in a setting where the element of time is as important as the food and service. Since the bistro is run as a class, the restaurant is open when students are in session. A standard menu is offered, as well as weekly, student-designed prix fixe specials during dinner. Reservations are strongly encouraged for dinner service. The bistro operates as a casual restaurant by day and transitions to fine dining in the evening. Use of complimentary valet parking is encouraged during dinner, and reservations are available through OpenTable.com.
Retailers
Inner Rail Food Hall
Nestled in the heart of Aksarben Village, Inner Rail Food Hall is home to 10 vendors featuring different styles of cuisine, all surrounding a central bar. Some vendors are extensions from local favorite shops, while other food vendors are new to Omaha. Inner Rail offers both indoor and outdoor spaces for dining and events with outdoor games, fire pits, and lounge furniture. Vendors include Kathmandu Momo Station, Jing's Green Goodness, Smash Omaha, and Reagan's Lobster Roll Shop. Customers can order takeout or delivery from any combination of vendors and check out on one bill, or place orders online.
It's All About Bees
Established in 2000, It's All About Bees is a family business owned by Wendy and Margi Fletcher. The family's beekeeping history dates back to the 1930s when Margi's grandfather Rexroat kept his bees in Homer, Nebraska. In 2000, the Fletchers started to make and sell products made from honey and beeswax, developing original recipes with reduced sugars and formulas using natural ingredients. To maintain homemade taste and texture, the family makes everything by hand using traditional methods. In 2014, the Fletchers expanded their shop, which sells homemade food and body care products, cups, honey pots, books, tea towels, bags, toys, baskets, and tea accessories. The team also sells products at farmers markets and craft shows in the Omaha area.
Las Nenas Market
Located on South 24th Street, Las Nenas Market offers an extensive assortment of Mexican and Latin American products, featuring fresh produce, low prices, and quality service to meet customer needs. For more information on Las Nenas, visit the Facebook page or step into the store to learn about weekly food specials.
Papillion Farmers Market
Every summer, the Papillion Farmers Market sells homemade, home grown produce and wares from local vendors. Along with fresh produce and baked goods, the Papillion Farmers Market features a variety of artists presenting an array of local art for the public to purchase and enjoy. Held at the Papillion City Park on the corner of Washington (84th) Street and Lincoln Road, the farmers market has a small, hometown atmosphere and appeal for visitors throughout the Omaha metro area.
Gifford Park Neighborhood Market
Gifford Park Neighborhood Market is open Fridays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. June through September. The market features local artists, artisans, musicians, gardeners, and farmers. Each week, Gifford Park has locally grown produce, live music from local musicians, and handmade/homegrown foods and crafts. The market is a great way to interact with community members and support local vendors! For more information, visit the Facebook page.
Nonprofits
Big Muddy Urban Farm
Big Muddy Urban Farm is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to making sustainable agriculture education accessible to all by connecting and empowering community members of all ages to build an equitable and resilient community food system. An often universal truth between cultures is that food brings people together. At Big Muddy, we bring people together and empower community through a stronger, more informed connection to food- how it is produced, where it comes from, and how to prepare dishes with an abundance of vegetables. We achieve this goal by growing diverse fruits and vegetables on several urban lots in the Gifford Park Neighborhood and connect it with accessible learning experiences through the integration of programs such as our Aspiring Farmer Residency, Summer Youth Garden support, Tool Lending, weekly food distribution, and by hosting farm tours to a wide range of groups.
If you stop by for a tour, you may find a group of elementary school students learning about how worms relate to the fruiting of a tomato, or a corporate group bonding over farm tasks like mending a fence at the chicken coop, or a group of medical professionals discussing their research in human health as they help sow cover crop seeds for soil health. Simultaneously, participants of the Aspiring Farmer Residency are given the opportunity to build a farm and learn the fundamentals of land stewardship. They build their skills while also improving the city environment and provide the surrounding community with a source of fresh food. Their dedicated pursuit of growing food and community organizing in an urban setting is juxtaposed to contemporary issues of food access, climate change, and food waste, a transformative experience both personally and with the community.
Nebraska Extension (Nutrition Education Program)
The Nebraska Extension Nutrition Education Program (NEP) helps families on a limited budget make healthier food choices and choose physically active lifestyles by acquiring the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavior changes necessary to improve their health. NEP is free to all participants who meet income guidelines. NEP is funded through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – Education Division (SNAP-Ed) and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). Together with community partnerships, NEP improves the health of Nebraskans. The long-standing Nutrition Education Program began serving the Omaha community with EFNEP in 1969 and SNAP-Ed in 1995. The Omaha team includes Audra Losey, Alyssa Wessling, Brooke Andrew, Lisa Larkin, Martha Hernandez, and Toni Wilson.
Increasing access to nutritious foods goes beyond having a well-stocked pantry and refrigerator. We often need more opportunities to experience foods with our senses before it can feel comfortable. Young children often hesitate to try new foods because they are unfamiliar. The same can be true for older children and adults. NEP provides opportunities for attendees to experience a variety of foods through hands-on cooking, taste tests, nutrition education, and gardening. Partnerships with local organizations connect people, food, and health through direct education classes and collaborative efforts improve policies, systems, and the environment that impacts the health of our Omaha community.
Together
Founded in 1975, Together works in Omaha and surrounding communities to help those in need find and keep their housing, gain access to food, and build income stability. With a mission to prevent and end hunger and homelessness in the Omaha area, Together works with local nonprofits, businesses, and government to supply food and supplies as well as meet the needs of families struggling with the basic necessities of life: food, clothing, and shelter. Together's services are open to the community year-round, and Together continues to provide relief with the help of local donors and volunteers. In addition to a drive-thru food pantry, Together offers various programs to help Omahans gain access to food and shelter, such as a pantry home delivery program, a rapid rehousing program, and a crisis engagement program that helps low-income households resolve crises that would otherwise lead to a loss of housing. Local partners include Whispering Roots, Catholic Charities, the Life House Diaper Bank, and Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless.
Omaha Permaculture
Established in 2015 by Gus Von Roenn, Omaha Permaculture is a 501c3 environmental nonprofit organization that develops and reimagines city-owned vacant lots through urban agriculture-related economic development. To meet the goal of creating edible landscapes and healthy ecosystems throughout the metro, Omaha Permaculture partners with organizations such as the City Planning Department, Omaha Municipal Land Bank, and Habitat for Humanity to manage 17 properties across the Omaha area. The organization's mission is to establish permaculture gardens across the community where neighbors can gather to harvest organic food, build relationships, and learn about the natural world.
Nebraska Appleseed
Since 1996, Nebraska Appleseed has operated as a 501c3 nonprofit that fights for justice and opportunity for all Nebraskans. Nebraska Appleseed takes a systemic approach to complex issues – such as child welfare, immigration policy, affordable health care and poverty – and advocates for Nebraskans in the courthouse, statehouse, and in the community. Nebraska Appleseed's works to increase access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Child Nutrition programs that serve children and families year-round. The child nutrition program focuses on providing school breakfast and summer meals to children in high-needs locations, with the goal of ensuring equity for all. Nebraska Appleseed works with local schools and nonprofits such as No Kid Hungry to accomplish this goal, advocating for policies that increase food and nutrition access for all Nebraskans.
Food Day Champions
Anna Curry
Anna Curry is a registered dietitian who has worked in many areas of food and nutrition over the years, including food service, hospitals, restaurants, education, and retail. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nutrition from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, and completed her dietetic internship with Keith & Associates, a nutritional management consultant firm based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her first job at 16 was in a restaurant and every job since has revolved around food. She currently works as the director of Culinary & Nutrition Programming at Whispering Roots, which has allowed her to develop and work on several impactful initiatives including the Nurture Omaha Farm Stands, Kids Culinary and The Whispering Roots Food Pharmacy.
Curry loves using food and cooking to connect with people and teach families about nutrition. Her specialty is nutritious, easy and flavorful recipes! She is passionate about ensuring that everyone in the Omaha community has access to the food and nourishment they need to be happy and healthy. Before working at Whispering Roots, she coordinated the Visiting Nurse Association’s Cooking Matters program, where she taught families how to cook healthy foods on a budget. On the side, Curry is an adjunct instructor at MCC Institute for the Culinary Arts, using her many years of restaurant experience to teach table service and student manager classes in the Sage Student Bistro. Curry is an active participant in several community groups, including the Community Nutrition Partnership Council, and was a founding member of the Soil 2 Sustenance Collaborative, a community group dedicated to food justice. In her limited spare time, she loves to cook, eat at local restaurants, tend to her garden, and travel the world trying new foods. She is honored to be recognized alongside such amazing people and organizations in this year’s Food Day awards.
Katie Kresha
As the executive director of City Sprouts, Katie Kresha supports the nonprofit's growth efforts while working to strengthen existing programs and create new opportunities to build sustainable, equitable food systems. An Omaha native, Kresha obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Theater from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Masters in Public Administration from Bellevue University. Before becoming City Sprout's executive director in 2020, she worked in higher education for 10 years where she oversaw budgetary and financial operations, marketing and community engagement efforts, administrative staffing, and event planning. When Kresha isn’t leading City Sprouts, she can be found spending time with her husband and three children and enjoying a variety of active and artsy activities.
Brent Lubbert
Big Muddy Urban Farm executive director Brent Lubbert believes great change can happen through the power of growing food and reconnecting to nature in the process. In 2012, he gained a greater awareness of food systems challenges while working on an independent documentary film called Growing Cities. While filming, he traveled the country interviewing urban growers and exploring various urban agriculture projects. When he returned to Omaha, he dug his hands in the soil, planted seeds, and helped start Big Muddy Urban Farm. Together, with many hearts, hands, and in his role as executive director, Big Muddy has grown its educational programming on vacant lots in the Gifford Park Neighborhood to include a year-long Aspiring Farmer Residency, Summer Youth Garden support, farm tours, Tool Lending program, and weekly food distribution. Challenges in the food system are significant, and Lubbert hopes to work together with community members and partners to build a greater community knowledge base around growing food and urban agriculture.
Gus von Roenn
As founder and executive director of Omaha Permaculture, Gus von Roenn is an advocate for permaculture and sustainable practices throughout Nebraska. He works through many organizations like the Nebraska Farmers Union, the Sierra Club, Nebraskans for Solar, Nebraska Sustainability Agricultural Society, and the Metro Omaha Food Policy Council to elevate the discussion of issues surrounding healthy food accessibility, land stewardship, and entrepreneurship in low-income communities. His academic background is in anthropology, sociology, archaeology, and permaculture. Currently, von Roenn is a certified permaculture designer integrating permaculture design consulting and landscaping into community efforts. An advocate for everything permaculture and sustainability in Nebraska, he likes to help organizations teach their constituents the limitless opportunities that create abundance in all of our communities for everyone to share.
Greg Fripp
Greg Fripp is the founder and executive director of Whispering Roots, Inc. Whispering Roots is an award-winning non-profit organization dedicated to bringing science, technology, engineering, and math education (S.T.E.M.), healthy food, nutrition education, and economic development to underserved communities both urban and rural by using aquaponics, aquaculture, hydroponics, urban agriculture, and controlled environment agriculture. Fripp proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy as both a highly-rated officer and enlisted member. After completing his military service, he led a successful career in the corporate world, ultimately achieving the position of head of talent acquisition for TD Ameritrade.
In July 2010, Fripp left his role with TD Ameritrade to pursue his passion for educating students, growing food, and developing vibrant communities. His bold vision led to the creation of Whispering Roots. Fripp travels both nationally and internationally consulting on techniques to increase the availability of healthy food while enhancing the educational and economic opportunities for people in need. His efforts have resulted in Whispering Roots programming receiving multiple accolades, including two Presidential Awards. In addition, his vision is driving the creation of next generation controlled environment S.T.E.M. education and food production programs in Nebraska and other regional locations as well as Haiti.