City Sprouts: City Sprouts Community Farm

ID

44

OrgName

City Sprouts

PhysicalAddress

4002 Seward St. Omaha, NE 68111

MailingAddress

PO Box 31593 Omaha, NE 68131

Website

www.omahasprouts.org

SocialMediaAccounts

https://www.facebook.com/OmahaSprouts/; Instagram: @omahasprouts

Name

Katie Kresha

Title

Executive Director

EmailAddress

director@omahasprouts.org

Phone

+1 (402) 504-1910

Team

Yes

TeamExplanation

Katie Kresha, City Sprouts Executive Director; Aaron French, Director of Urban Farm Initiatives; Laura Simpson, Distribution Coordinator; Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, Field Day Development

OrganizationalChart

Uploaded at the end of the application.

OtherCompletedProjects

City Sprouts is a nonprofit organization committed to gardening education and increasing food access in the Omaha area. City Sprouts manages community gardens in Northeast and Southeast Omaha within the Qualified Census Tract a seven acre community farm adjacent to the Qualified Census Tract. Annually, City Sprouts interacts with thousands of community members through their all-ages programming and community events. City Sprouts educates students and adults about growing and eating local foods through their Little Sprouts, Garden to Table, Truck Farm, and Growing Gardeners programs. Each summer City Sprouts hires 16 part-time interns who participate in hands-on learning of horticultural and agricultural techniques. Through their internship, City Sprouts grows over 15,000lbs of produce that is largely donated back to the community. The fresh and local produce goes to food banks, interns’ families, and other programs that serve people who are facing food insecurity. City Sprouts also provides community members a place to grow through their 55 community garden plots, where a couple of thousand pounds of additional food are grown. Since 1995, City Sprouts has provided a comfortable environment for people of all ages and walks of life to come together and strengthen our Omaha community by learning about and growing food together.

ProposalTitle

City Sprouts Community Farm

TotalBudget

2139890.0

LB1024GrantFundingRequest

2139890.0

ProposalType

Combination of capital project and service/program

BriefProposalSummary

City Sprouts is proposing the City Sprouts Community Farm and Garden Center at its properties on 5420 N. 3rd Street in the Sherman Neighborhood of Northeast Omaha. We envision the location being a creative community space bringing together food, education, and artistic expression through a community farm, outdoor nature classroom, community marketplace, venue for artistic and cultural expression, and co-creation space for local businesses, artists, organizers, growers, and healers. The City Sprouts Community Farm will be a gathering place and destination for the Omaha community. The food produced will support those in need of fresh, culturally appropriate produce, in partnership with other organizations working to feed those facing food insecurity. The project began in 2022 and is anticipated to be complete by Spring of 2026 with the support of this funding.

Timeline

Summer 2023, design finalized and contractor finalized Fall 2023, tree removal, infrastructure, and roads Spring 2024, secondary structures installed (greenhouse, high tunnels) Summer/Fall 2024 - 2025, construction of garden center, parking lot, pavilion Spring 2026 - grand opening, community farm project completed and open to public

PercentageCompletedByJuly2025

1.0

FundingGoals

Fundamental Change (i.e., a proposal that will continue to elevate North or South Omaha's presence and perception within the region, significantly improving the lives of area residents through physical development) Long-Lasting Economic Growth (i.e., a proposal that will foster gainful employment opportunities and financial investment in the area, leading to the creation of generational wealth and widespread economic vitality in North and South Omaha) Transformational (i.e., a proposal that will help energize, recharge, or spur significant and favorable advancements in North or South Omaha's function or appearance)

Community Needs

Other Infrastructure (i.e., develop or improve broadband, business districts, roadways, sewer, etc.) Quality of Life (i.e., create or enhance natural spaces, mixed uses, parks, safety, etc.) Sustainable Community (i.e., create or enhance housing, services, education, civic uses, recreation, etc.)

OtherExplanation

ProposalDescriptionAndNeedsAlignment

City Sprouts is proposing the creation of a permanent Urban Farm and Education Center at 5420 N. 3rd St. 68110, located in a designated Opportunity Zone and adjacent to the Qualified Census Tract. This property is 6.8 acres, which will include a 3.5 urban farm and community garden space, a one acre food forest and orchard, and the remaining 2.3 acres reserved for a garden center, greenhouse, and outdoor community gathering space. The community farm will build a sustainable community resource in an underserved area of Omaha, the Sherman neighborhood, which is a food desert and lacks basic city infrastructure, such as paved roads and sewers. The space for allow for outdoor recreation, education about agriculture, horticulture, and sustainability, hands-on experiences with nature, and other public community uses. Outdoor nature classrooms, public pollinator gardens, and farm fields will be accessible to the public free of charge, with regular public events taking place to bring community together around food and culture.

VisioningWorkshopFindingsAlignment

This proposal serves the needs of North Omaha by retaining ownership of a large piece of land local and using it for community development, makes improvements to infrastructure in the neighborhood, integrates local culture and character, and expands accessibility to healthy, locally produced food.

PrioritiesAlignment

The proposal will transform the Sherman neighborhood by energizing a new space for community engagement and pride, as the first large community farm in Omaha. It will elevate this area of Omaha and improve the lives of area residents by providing new recreational areas, educational opportunities, and community events, as well as access to nutritious foods. It will also give opportunities for youth employment, increasing the number of interns hired annually in the Summer Urban Farming Internship program.

EconomicImpact

City Sprouts anticipates that the project will create at least three new permanent positions at the organization by 2026 and will increase the number of temporary positions as interns or farm crew by at least 15 by 2026.

EconomicImpactPermanentJobsCreated

We estimate is will create at least 3 new positions by 2026.

EconomicImpactTemporaryJobsCreated

0

EconomicImpactWageLevels

45000

EconomicImpactAlignProposedJobs

This proposal will utilize the services on businesses and contractors. It also has the opportunity for future partnerships with the proposed industrial park near the farm site.

CommunityBenefit

We envision the location being a creative community space bringing together food, education, and artistic expression through an urban farm, outdoor classroom, community marketplace, venue for artistic and cultural expression, and co-creation space for local businesses, artists, organizers, growers, and healers. The City Sprouts Urban Farm will be a gathering place and destination for the Omaha community. The food produced will support those in need of fresh, culturally appropriate produce, in partnership with other organizations working to feed those facing food insecurity. Those disconnected from nature and their food sources will have a place to get their hands dirty and learn how to create a sustainable future for our city.

CommunityBenefitSustainability

This proposal will provide a haven for sustainability of the natural environment, potentially an oasis amongst industrials facilities and residential areas. The facilities will be built to provide the least environmental impact possible, investing in the newest clean energy technologies. The proposal will invest in the sustainability of the workforce in areas related to food production, sustainability, culinary arts, and public health through the expansion of the Summer Urban Farming Internship program. Quality of life will be sustained for the surrounding neighborhoods by having this space as a community resource and gathering space.

BestPracticesInnovation

This project will be the first large community farm in Omaha, which is missing from Omaha compared to other cities of comparable size. Community farms provide cities spaces to reconnect with nature and the source of our food. Time in nature increases well being and overall health outcomes. The farm will also use innovative methodologies for growing food. The facilities will use the latest green technologies, to ensure the project has positive environmental impaces.

OutcomeMeasurement

The project will measure food produced, community members receiving food assistance, number of people served by educational programs, and the impacts of the Urban Farming Internship Program.

OutcomeMeasurementHow

City Sprouts measures outcomes and is also working to hire an external evaluator to work on several federally funded projects that align with this proposal.

OutcomeMeasurementCoinvestment

Yes, having funds to start this project will allow opportunities for additional investment and in-kind support.

Partnerships

No

PartnershipsOrgs

PartnershipsMOU

Displacement

No

DisplacementExplanation

PhysicalLocation

5420 N. 3rd St. Omaha, Ne 68110

QualifiedCensusTract

Adjacent to one or more QCTs

AdditionalLocationDocuments

PropertyZoning

No

ConnectedToUtilities

ConnectedToUtilitiesConnected

No

ConnectedToUtilitiesUpgradesNeeded

Yes

DesignEstimatingBidding

No

DesignEstimatingBiddingPackageDeveloped

No

DesignEstimatingBiddingCostsDetermined

The costs are estimates as the final design has not yet been completed.

GeneralContractor

No

GeneralContractorPublicCompetitiveBid

GeneralContractorPublicCompetitiveBidWhyNot

RequestRationale

The rationale is based on estimates from partners and reviews of similar projects in Omaha and other community farms in cities outside of Omaha.

GrantFundsUsage

The LB1024's grant funds would support the construction of facilities and the addition of necessary infrastructure for the project.

ProposalFinancialSustainability

Yes

ProposalFinancialSustainabilityOperations

City Sprouts is funded by local foundations, federal grants, and donations. These funds support existing operations and would cover the additional costs of the added space.

FundingSources

City Sprouts has funding from the USDA for some infrastructure at the farm and the farming activities taking places, as well as several other federal grant programs and local foundations. The farming operating are fully funded.

FundingSourcesPendingDecisions

There are foundations committed to providing capital support for the project, but formal requests are pending this grant decision.

FundingSourcesCannotContinue

No

Scalability

It can be completed in smaller components if needed.

ScalabilityComponents

The farming infrastructure, city infrastructure, outdoor spaces, and building construction are all separate components that can be completed on their own.

FinancialCommitment

City Sprouts is committed to the ongoing operation of the community farm.

ARPAComplianceAcknowledgment

1.0

ARPAReportingMonitoringProcessAck

1.0

LB1024FundingSourcesAck

1.0

PublicInformation

1.0

FileUploads

Documentation of site control (proof of ownership, option, purchase contract, or long-term lease agreement) Organizational Chart Plans and detailed descriptions, including pictures and a map of the site location/surrounding area Proposal Budget/Sources and Uses