Lincoln's Mayor's Local Food Challenge Doubles Participation, Boosts Local Economy
Lincoln, Nebraska's second annual Mayor’s Local Food Challenge has seen a significant increase in participation, more than doubling from 21 organizations last year to 50 this year. This initiative encourages businesses, schools, restaurants, and other organizations to purchase food grown and produced within 250 miles of Lincoln. Participants collectively placed 1,331 orders, spending over $694,000 on locally sourced food. This spending directly supported 70 regional farmers and suppliers, strengthening the local food system. Despite Nebraska being a leading agricultural state, Lincoln still imports approximately 90% of its consumed food. The challenge aims to reduce this reliance on external food sources by connecting local producers with local buyers. Participating organizations included grocery stores like Open Harvest and Hy-Vee, hospitals such as Bryan Health and CHI Health St. Elizabeth, and various local restaurants. The challenge ran from July 1 through October 31, with organizations recognized base...
