In 2020 we asked Nebraskans to send us their original poetry about local food. The response received was incredible.The poems make us laugh, cry and take notice of the small beauties we can find every day in the garden, the farm, the market and our kitchens.
Big thanks to all who submitted. Find all the poems in the bar to the right.
Featured Poem
Getting the Dirt on Farmers
Tobi Scofield (Lincoln, Nebraska)
Never been a farmer
City girl, I guess
So when I stand under the awning
At our CSA drop-off
I get the dirt on local farmers
I hear it in the chit-chat concerning
hungry grasshoppers and threatening weather
In the heat of the day, it appears in beads of sweat
settling on each farmer’s furrowed brow
emitting an earthy scent into the faint breeze
It shows up in the fresh veggies, germinated
in acres of managed organic soil
and placed carefully in my bag
At home, I see it tucked
between the leaves of lettuce, like a hidden note
Black, inky dirt
uncovered and discovered
A sneaky disclosure of dirty truth
A mighty reminder to appreciate
the dirt on farmers
*All poems are the property of the author. Please do not reproduce, print or distribute without their permission.