Billene Nemec is the Coordinator for Buy Fresh Buy Local, Nebraska Chapter. Her long time passion for great local food and for those who produce it has helped her to understand the need for a program that markets the producers' food and supports those who buy directly from the local producers. For the past 20 years Billene has been a market gardener, farmers’ market vendor, and she manages two farmers’ markets in Lincoln. She has the privilege and the obligation, as coordinator of Buy Fresh Buy Local, to ensure that ag and rural entrepreneurs have a strong promotional and outreach program for their local products and consumers have a consistent messsage that helps them to identify the products of family farmers. A program that helps local businesses highlight their support for local foods, and provide entire communities with information about the many benefits of a strong local food system.

A native  Nebraskan graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in BFA in Art Ed.   After 11 years of working outside of Nebraska she returned home to work with children and adults in raising food for fun and nutrition.