Demonstrating the Feasibility of Producing Culturally Preferred Vegetable Crops in Underrepresented Urban Areas

View the project final report

Commodities

• Vegetables: cucurbits, eggplant, greens (leafy), peas (culinary)

Practices

• Crop Production: conservation tillage, irrigation, postharvest treatment, varieties and cultivars
• Education and Training: demonstration, farmer to farmer
• Farm Business Management: market study
• Sustainable Communities: community services, ethnic differences/cultural and demographic change, local and regional food systems, new business opportunities, urban agriculture

Omaha, like many similar sized cities, continues to face rising levels of food insecurity and an increasing population of immigrant and refugee families. These two issues often intersect, leaving vulnerable populations in need of governmental and nonprofit assistance for basic needs like housing, employment and most acutely, food. From 2010-2019 Nebraska resettled approximately 10,000 refugees, with over half settling in the greater Omaha area. By many estimates, this rate of resettlement has and will continue to increase following escalated conflicts around the world. Food banks are providing these communities with food services that help address base levels of food insecurity but often lack in fresh vegetables and specifically culturally preferred vegetables and herbs. According to a 2020 report from a state agency, over ⅔ of refugees in Nebraska report eating a vegetable less than once per day. Many of these preferred produce items are not available in traditional or culturally specific groceries or farmers markets, leaving new Americans with little to no access to important cultural and culinary resources. Another limiting factor in the availability of produce is the lack of knowledge amongst most urban and peri-urban farmers in the production practices of culturally preferred produce and herbs.

City Sprouts addressed the lack of knowledge regarding production practices of culturally preferred produce through the creation of a series of crop production guides. A survey and follow-up interviews conducted with participants in City Sprouts' Urban Farming Internship (most of whom are from the four geographic areas identified as priority) led to the selection of eight crops from four geographic regions. These crops were identified as both dietary and cultural staples by interviewees and survey participants and after initial research regarding City Sprouts' ability to produce these crops, the following vegetables, from the noted geographic areas, were selected for trialing. 

-Burma: Roselle + Thai Eggplant

-Burundi: Burundian Eggplant + Pumpkin Leaves

-Sudan / South Sudan: Molokhia + Black Eyed Pea Leaves

-Afghanistan: Tinda Gourd + Persian Cucumber

Throughout two growing seasons City Sprouts staff trialed these eight crops, recording all relevant details and identifying best practices for the production of these crops in Nebraska. Of particular importance was understanding the timing of these crops(with relation to planting and harvest), identifying potential pest/disease issues, and dialing in proper harvest procedures and post-harvest care. In addition to the eight production guides produced as part of this project, City Sprouts staff promoted the production of these culturally preferred crops at conferences, field days, and farm tours, including for NC-SARE administrative council and state coordinators. Growers from Omaha and other surrounding areas were able to view the production of these culturally preferred crops up close and in-person. Nearly 100 growers were able to discuss the specific production methods (and challenges) with City Sprouts staff as well as the culinary and cultural value with City Sprouts urban farming interns. The production guides are being distributed at urban agriculture networking and learning events throughout Omaha in the winter of 2025 and will continue to be shared widely. As demand grows, City Sprouts will continue to host specific producer workshops / skill-shares to focus on the production practices of these crops and will expand production of these, and other, crops to meet increasing needs among Omaha's growing refugee and immigrant populations experiencing food insecurity. As City Sprouts continues to expand its work supporting other local growers (primarily by offering greenhouse space and space in the shared-use wash/pack HarvestHub facility), more growers in urban and peri-urban areas around Omaha will hopefully adopt the production of these crops and be aided by the production guides created with this generous Farmer Rancher Grant funding from SARE.

In this demonstration and education project, City Sprouts will lean heavily on its large network of volunteers, staff, interns, community partners and associated urban farmers to identify and select three preferred crops from each selected culture (Burmese, Afghan, Iraqi, Somali, Sudanese / South Sudanese and Ukrainian) to grow on its seven acre farm. Crops will be identified through in depth interviews with current and former interns who represent these cultures as well as surveys distributed to community partners actively engaged with refugee populations. Once selected, a one-sheet production guide for each crop will be created by City Sprouts for distribution to other urban and peri-urban farmers in its extensive network as an educational resource.

City Sprouts has designed and delivered a survey to former interns, staff and community partners to gauge which culturally preferred crops would be most beneficial to study and create a growing guide for. Additionally, City Sprouts staff have conducted in-person interviews with growers and members of the identified communities to assess where market shortfalls exist in terms of produce availability. After assessing capacity and based on initial survey results, City Sprouts staff have decided to reduce both the number of crops and cultures to focus on, in order to provide higher quality growing guides. City Sprouts will engage with members of the Burmese, Burundian, Sudanese/South Sudanese and Afghan communities and have identified two crops per culture. The crops are as follows:

• Burmese (Karen, Karenni, Chin): 
  • Sour Leaf / Sorrel: A type of hibiscus cultivated in Burma, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia, primarily for it's young, tender and bitter leaves. Used heavily to make stews and soups. 
  • Thai Eggplant: Called Thai eggplant but popular through parts of Burma, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia these small, spherical green eggplant vary wildly from Italian and French eggplants most commonly cultivated in the United States. 
• Burundian:
  • Burundian Eggplant: A small white eggplant that ripens to a deep orange grown by Burundian refugees in Omaha. Seed gifted to City Sprouts by a grower in our network and sold at the Maranatha Market, a Burundian owned and operated grocer in Omaha. 
  • Pumpkin Leaves: Harvested when young and tender, the leaves are stewed and served as a relish (of sorts) with many dishes, known as muboora. Also commonly cultivated by Burmese growers in Omaha. 
• Sudanese / South Sudanese:
  • Molokhia: Referred to here using the name of a dish commonly made with this plant in the mallow family. Also referred to as jute, the tender leaves are harvested and stewed with seasonings to create a mucilaginous stew common in both Sudan and South Sudan. 
  • Black Eyed Pea Leaves: While black eyed peas are commonly cultivated, particularly in the American south, growerS in Nebraska rarely harvest the leaves from these leguminous crops. Stewed in a similar way to molokhia, these are known in South Sudan as nyete. 
•  Afghani:
  • Persian Cucumber: Small, smooth and seedless cucumbers are common in Afghan cuisine and valued as a snack or to prepare doogh, a yogurt and cucumber drink. 
  • Tinda / Apple Gourd: A small, round curcubit. This green gourd is harvested at a slightly immature stage and generally stuffed and steamed. 

2023 Update:

Not all the above listed crops were able to be grown during the 2023 season, so additional trials and production data will be gathered during the 2024 growing season. Crops that were grown during the 2023 season italicized above. 

The production guides will include information on seed sourcing (from organic / sustainable and BIPOC-owned sources, where possible), propagation and transplant management using minimal plastic, minimal and/or no-till field preparation, transplant / direct seeding guidance, irrigation requirements (with a focus on water conservation), integrated weed management, the use of both organic (leaf litter, straw, etc) and biodegradable, MATER-BI based mulch. Proper harvest and post-harvest handling instructions will also be included, as well as any understood pest issues.

In addition to the production guides, which will be available online on City Sprouts' website and social media and at public outreach events, City Sprouts promoted the production guides and our SARE-funded work at multiple field days, farm tours, and educational events. A specific field day had been planned with two partner organizations, but in the intervening years, both organizations went through periods of transition and were no longer able to participate. However, over 175 individuals participated in tours and field days and learned about our production trials. Of those 175, nearly 100 were active producers / growers and may adopt the production of these important, cultural crops. 

Through publicly demonstrating the sustainable production of these culturally preferred crops, creating and distributing production guides and hosting a field day with refugee-led community partners, City Sprouts will provide an example to other growers in the area that the production of culturally preferred crops is not just possible, but also potentially economically beneficial to their farm operation. Through its partnership with the Food Bank for the Heartland, City Sprouts is actively creating marketing opportunities for small-scale farmers to be compensated for growing and distributing culturally preferred produce through the Food Bank’s network of partner pantries. The demonstration and education portions of this program will lead directly to an increase in both the availability and accessibility of that produce while also increasing the economic viability of producing it for local growers.

OBJECTIVES (2024 updates in bold):

• Demonstrate the use of five sustainable production techniques in growing culturally preferred vegetables (Ex: integrative pest and weed management, cover cropping, compost applications and sustainable tillage implements (Spring-Fall 2023)
  • City Sprouts demonstrated these techniques for culturally preferred vegetable crops in 2023 and will continue to demonstrate, record, and promote these techniques in 2024, particularly within the growing guides. 
  • City Sprouts demonstrated and recorded sustainable production techniques and practices for each of the 8 crops selected as part of this project. These production techniques included:
    • Use of soil-blocks for seed starting, eliminating conventional polystyrene greenhouse materials.
    • Use of 15 mil drip irrigation for water conservation and disease/fungus management. Drip irrigation was collected at the end of the season and saved for reuse the following year. 
    • Use of Bio360 Mater-Bi mulch for weed suppression and soil temperature regulation on early planted crops. Mulch was collected at the end of the season and commercially composted. 
    • Crops were planted in 36" beds with 33" walkways which were seeded with annual cover crops for weed control in walkways / harvest paths and to encourage beneficial, predatory and pollinator insect populations. Buckwheat was seeded at the time of bed forming (mid-May) and terminated with a flail mower in late June. At that point, oats were seeded and winterkilled after the crops had been removed. Both cover crops were seeded with an Earthway seeder with Beans / Small Pea plate at 3.6" spacing. Five rows were seeded of both species. 
    • While not noted in the production guides due to its cost and particular niche, a reticulating spader was used for bed prep in all production beds, limiting soil compaction and providing a hospitable seed bed for both direct seeded and transplanted crops. 
• Produce 5,000 - 7,000 pounds, annually, of selected culturally preferred vegetables at the City Sprouts Urban Farm for distribution to local food pantries (Fall, 2023)
  • In 2023, City Sprouts produced over 15,000 lbs of produce for distribution to the Bountiful Harvest Food Pantry through its partnership with the Food Bank for the Heartland. Of those 15,000 lbs, 7,307 were categorized as culturally preferred. 
  • In 2024, City Sprouts produced nearly 16,000 lbs of produce for distribution to our community partners, including the Bountiful Harvest Food Pantry in partnership with the Food Bank for the Heartland. Of those 16,000 lbs, 8,404 were categorized as culturally preferred. 
• Complete 10 interviews and receive 20 survey responses to identify culturally preferred produce from select populations (Spring, 2023)
  • City Sprouts received 8 survey responses regarding culturally preferred produce from select populations in 2023, a lower number than expected. However, City Sprouts staff engaged with 14 community members and growers to gather information regarding culturally preferred produce items. Survey responses will continue to be collected as City Sprouts still seeks to continue to learn and educate growers on the production of culturally preferred crops beyond the grant period. 
• Create and distribute ten culturally preferred vegetable production guides to the large network of growers in the Omaha area (Spring, 2024)
  • City Sprouts has collected data, photos and practices and will continue to identify best practices to include in the production guides. The guides will most likely be ready for production and distribution by Fall, 2024.
  • City Sprouts, due to the limited capacity of staff and space on the farm, chose to only grow eight culturally preferred vegetable crops and thus produced eight production guides. These guides are uploaded on the City Sprouts website and will continue to be distributed to the urban and small-scale agriculture community. City Sprouts annually interacts with ~150 producers through its outreach events, farm tours, field days and community / grower workshops.
• Engage 15 Omaha area farmers through a hands-on, production-focused field day (Fall, 2023)
  • City Sprouts hosted two large tours and field days in 2023. The first of which was in conjunction with the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society and brought 27 farmers and food system professionals to the farm to learn about City Sprouts and the farms production methods, particularly as they relate to specialty, culturally preferred crops. City Sprouts also hosted 45 growers and food systems professionals at our first annual Soil Health Field Day. While the focus was not explicitly on this project, all attendees were extremely interested in our production methods and crops, and the field day spent ~1.5 hours discussing and touring the related fields. It was also an extreme pleasure to host members of the NCR-SARE Administrative Council and staff to our farm to learn about our work. 
  • City Sprouts continued to host field days in 2024, although none of them were specifically focused on the production of specialty crops. City Sprouts hosted 65 growers and food systems professionals attending the National Farm to School grant awardee conference in Omaha in September. Additionally, City Sprouts hosted staff from the USDA's Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production in May. Staff, including the director of the office Brian Guse, were extremely intrigued and impressed with the production of culturally preferred crops. The farm was lucky enough to host the director of the NRCS, Terry Crosby, on the farm in October. While many of the crops involved in this project were out of production we were able to share small tastes of roselle and molokhia (unfortunately not very good raw). Lastly, City Sprouts hosted its second annual Soil Health Field Day, which brought 40 producers to the farm. In addition to excellent soil health information, they were able to explore and learn about the production methods for these specialty crops, with a particular focus on the conservation practices employed.