nebraska

The Tri-Faith Unity Garden and Hope Orchard, a USDA People’s Garden in Omaha, Nebraska, is a natural healing space where people of three faiths gather through the Tri-Faith Initiative. This unique interfaith project —including a synagogue, church, and mosque along with the garden— is a space where people can practice their faith while connecting, learning, and growing through the vision of “a world in which differences are honored, similarities are built upon, and everyone belongs.”

USDA’s Office of Tribal Relations is excited about the Department’s new investments through Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. We’re investing a total of $3.1 billion in 141 projects. More than 20 tribes and tribal groups across the nation are partnering in many of these projects.

It was a sunny fall day in mid-October when I had the honor of visiting the Omaha Nation WIC program. Upon meeting WIC Director Jessika Free-Bass, I visited the Tribe's WIC garden, which they use to grow produce for client nutrition education. For the Omaha Tribe, nutrition education is a community effort.

Who are the students pursuing careers in ag? We spoke to college students from minority-serving institutions who recently met (virtually) with USDA officials and partner organizations through the Future Leaders in Agriculture Program. They shared their insights on the event, their studies, and their future careers.