The Lincoln Mayor’s Local Food Challenge more than doubled its participation in its second year, bringing more than $694,000 in local food purchases to regional farmers and producers. Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird announced the results Monday during a news conference at Open Harvest.
She says 50 businesses and organizations participated in this year’s challenge, placing 1,331 orders for food grown or produced within 250 miles of Lincoln. The purchases supported 70 regional farmers and suppliers.
“Together we’re growing Lincoln’s economy, supporting regional farmers who steward our land and making fresh, healthy food choices more accessible to our neighbors,” Gaylor Baird said. City Chief Sustainability Officer Kim Morrow says the challenge is part of Lincoln’s effort to strengthen its local food system.
She says despite Nebraska being one of the nation’s leading agricultural states, Lincoln still imports about 90 percent of the food it consumes. That’s approximately 1.6 million pounds of food every day, with more than $1.1 billion in food dollars leaving the region annually.
Several new participants reached the program’s highest, platinum level, including Cafe Botanica, Center for People, CHI Health St. Elizabeth, Williamsburg Hy-Vee, Le Cartier Bakery and Cafe, Momo’s Pizzeria and the Country Club of Lincoln.
Lone Tree Foods co-owner Justin Jones says creating demand for locally produced food is essential to building stronger relationships between farmers and businesses. “Everything basically boils down to demand,” Jones said, explaining that the challenge helps businesses diversify their food supplies while giving customers more locally produced options.
Robinette Farms co-owner Chloe Bugle says the increased participation creates more customers and stronger markets for regional farmers, helping make farming and food production more viable. University of Nebraska-Lincoln also increased its participation, ordering 179 produce boxes for employees this year, 73 more than last year.
The city launched the challenge to encourage businesses, schools, hospitals, restaurants and other organizations to purchase more food from Nebraska and regional producers. Morrow says the program’s success has also attracted attention from the Nebraska Department of Education, which decided to replicate the initiative statewide.
City officials say they hope to build on the participation and purchasing growth when the challenge returns next year.