Lincoln and to the West: Organic Farming, Local Food and Green Architecture
From Omaha, we headed further west, through Lincoln to Grain Place Foods — an organic farm and grain processor located near Aurora, Nebraska. The farm first went organic in 1953 and, after a brief return to conventional production, became one of Nebraska’s first certified organic farms in the early 1970s. Still in the family and run by David Vetter, the farm is unlike many organic grain producers in that they use rotational grazing of cows and hogs to fertilize the fields and replenish the soil. No additional fertilizers are used; weeds and pests are controlled via natural means. Starting in the fields, we traced how a crop goes from field to food via their on-site processing plant — which also provides finishing for other organic producers.
In Lincoln that evening, we enjoyed a fantastic meal at Dish, a local restaurant that is increasingly using local foods to create their culinary masterpieces. On Tuesday morning, we sat down with the owner, Travis Green and chatted about the challenges and benefits of this approach.
We also had the chance to talk green architecture with W. Cecil Steward, the founder of Nebraska’s Joslyn Institute, while we toured his Asian-influenced and efficient loft. The Joslyn Institute is working to foster green building in Nebraska, combat suburban sprawl and help the region envision a future that protects its unique natural resources.
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on Sunday, July 6th, 2008 at 7:35 pm and is filed under The Road Trip.
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