According to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture’s 2013 study, the state is home to more than 46,800 farms covering 45.5 million acres of land—more than 93 percent of the land in Nebraska.
With that kind of ratio, the Cornhusker State should be at the forefront of the farm-to-table movement, and Visit Nebraska has recently been working to convince travelers of just that in an effort to boost food tourism to the region.
Some of the recommended dining hot spots are the Grey Plume in Omaha, the Timber Dining Room at Lied Lodge in Nebraska City and Bread & Cup in Lincoln. Grey Plume operates on the principal of creating no waste and features seasonal menus that showcase the food’s source, collaborating with local farmers and artists and paying attention to details down to the origin of the seeds.
For larger groups, Lied Lodge and Conference Center on Arbor Day Farm offers 144 guest rooms and 14,000 square feet of conference space. The on-property restaurant serves locally sourced produce and meats as well as a selection of Arbor Day wines made from Nebraska grapes.
Chef Kevin Shinn of Bread & Cup creates simple dishes such as chickpea and vegetable medley soup as well as a popular Thursday night pizza menu.