Cody, Nebraska, has been dubbed “too tough to die.” Despite the closure of businesses and a declining population, residents have worked hard to keep their community strong.
One big issue has been access to affordable, fresh foods. When the town’s grocery store closed in 1995, that need became critical because people had to drive 40 minutes or more to find fresh food options.
The school and community came together to try to solve the problem, and by collaborating with the Center for Rural Affairs and obtaining grant funding, Circle C Market opened in 2013.
Liz Ravenscroft is the manager of Circle C Market as well as a business education teacher at Cody-Kilgore Unified School. She leads work-based learning (WBL) courses in the grocery store during school hours and employs students after school hours and during the summer. Students can take a WBL class for credits, and after hours, they work for pay.
Now, Ravenscroft is pursuing grant funding opportunities to pay for construction of a new greenhouse, as the school’s old one was torn down due to rot. Since inventory is hard to come by for the small-town grocery store, they want to grow their own produce to sell. The student-run, school-coordinated project will help provide for the entire community.
Access for everyone
“Two teachers were thinking it would be cool if we could have a small-scale store environment to sell basics like milk and bread,” said Liz. “They applied for grants and got the community involved in the project.”
The idea sounds simple enough, but years of work have gone into making Circle C Market a successful way to create sustainable food options in the village of 167 people.
“Circle C Market is truly a community need,” Liz said. “We provide groceries to shut-ins and community members who need necessities and can't drive 45 minutes to the nearest grocery store. The store is vital to our community, and I enjoy being a part of that.”
The market carries a variety of items and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
“We have a large selection for the size of our store,” Liz said. “We carry a little of everything. We even have a small gift selection that includes Nebraska-made candles.”
As the store manager, Liz is the only adult overseeing day-to-day operations. Students learn how to stock shelves, operate a point-of-sale system, submit orders for products, perform general cleaning tasks, and more.
Growing vegetables can be educational
Not only is Liz teaching valuable skills needed to succeed in the workforce, she’s leading the effort to help Cody community members get access to affordable, locally grown foods through their greenhouse project.
“Having access to fresh produce is just as crucial for a small community as it is for a large one,” Liz said. “Small communities also desire to be healthy. It's tough to get access to fresh produce. Due to our location, we have a minimal selection, and it is more expensive to obtain good, fresh options.”
The school’s first greenhouse primarily served as a venue for agriculture-based classes: greenhouse and entrepreneurship, family and consumer science, agriculture food, and more.
The new greenhouse will operate in the same way Circle C Market does; it will be fully operational and financially separate from the school. However, the primary manager of the greenhouse will be a teacher, and student employees will be involved during the summer and after-school hours.
Not giving up on getting the grant
Center staff were able to guide Liz to the proper resources for applying for a Thriving Communities Grantmakers grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They also helped facilitate meetings to complete the application.
“This process has been a learning curve,” Liz said. “Two of our community members stepped in and helped write the grant application components to meet the deadline. We had ample resources to guide us through the application process, and Center staff have been very knowledgeable and supportive.”
Unfortunately, after submitting the application, they learned that the program had been terminated.
“Even though the grant through the EPA is no longer available, we are advising Liz to move forward with other grant applications,” said Deborah Solie, senior project associate with the Center. “We are looking for other grant opportunities for them as well.”
Greenhouse goals
Once they get funding, the plan is to build a geothermal greenhouse equipped with automated venting and cooling systems to use during the summer months. The facility would allow them to grow fruits and vegetables year-round, as well as hold classes and community opportunities for people of all ages.
The new greenhouse will be north of the school football field and will measure 96-by-17 feet. The facility will feature a commercial kitchen and community bathrooms, as well as an outdoor orchard with citrus fruit, cherry, apple, pear, and peach trees.
Along with common fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, lettuce, potatoes, etc., planners hope to raise varieties of berries, grapes, and avocados.
This long-term vision would be realized within three to five years, when the greenhouse will be fully financially sustainable. At that point, they hope to be able to grow enough produce to sell in the store and supply the school lunch program for the whole school.
“This cooperative effort doesn’t just help provide fresh, locally sourced produce in Cody,” Liz said. “It creates hands-on educational opportunities for students in agriculture and business classes, and sustainability promotes community resilience and empowerment through shared resources and local collaboration. This project is more than a greenhouse—it's a step toward food security, educational growth, and a stronger future for our town.”
