Omaha Permaculture
Life honouring permaculture organization.Omaha Permaculture is an environmental non-profit organization that maintains unwanted vacant land to elevate the property's utility and value for the surrounding neighborhood by creating healthy ecosystems through urban agriculture-related economic development.
The vision for Omaha Permaculture (OP) formed in 2013, when founder Gus von Roenn helped fashion a Seasonal Gardening Agreement for city-owned vacant land in low-income communities. Gus saw a unique need for sustainable land management that reduced mowing maintenance, absorbed more stormwater, reduced dumping, provided edible landscapes for people and wildlife, replanted forests, and built picnic tables for the community to enjoy on Omaha’s most forgotten and blighted properties.
In December of 2015, OP began working on 9 city-owned lots with ambitious plans of creating edible landscapes throughout North Omaha. OP now manages 17 properties, runs a robust portfolio of programs, and maintains partnerships with the City Planning Department, Omaha Municipal Land Bank, Habitat for Humanity, and other community collaborators.