Progress 07/01/22 to 08/30/22

Outputs
Target Audience:In Phase 1, we have set up our pilot micro-farm site in Nespelem within the jurisdiction of the Confederated Colville Tribes (CCT.) We have a community member designated as the sovereign food steward/farm manager. We set up two snap-to-grow geodesic structures to grow traditional and mainstream food crops. Members of the community are engaged in the growing and consumption of healthy produce. The pilot uses the smart farming minimum viable product (MVP) -- a mobile app with an easy user interface and controls of IoT sensors and blockchain-based digital tokens. In terms of TRL (technical readiness level,) Konbit posits to be at 6, a prototype system being tested in our pilot micro-farm. We have interacted with a wide spectrum of stakeholders across the community in the Confederated Colville Tribes (CCT.) This includes Pascal Sherman Indian School, Washington State University Tribal Extension, State of WA, Department of Agriculture experts, USDA field office, members of the CIHA (Colville Indian Housing Authority,) tribal council members, the Nespelem Valley Electric, partners such as Gabriel Construction Development, Twende Solar, NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) and NCAT (National Center for Appropriate Technology.) Tauni Bearcub, a member of the tribe is now the Sovereign Food Steward for the micro-farm in Nesplem, WA within the jurisdiction of CCT. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Members of the community including those through TERO (Tribal Employment Rights Office) has enable over a dozen people be engaged during the entire process of setting up the micro-farm. Opportunities for person training and professional development have been provide to all the people who have engaged in the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results and ongoing research data are being shared with community of interest - tribal leaders in other jursidictions. The IAC (InterTribal Ag Council) forum was/is also used to shared lessons learned and results of the project. In December 2020, we presented at the IAC (Inter-Tribal Ag Council). We heard back from many Native American tribes keen on setting up micro-farms on their lands to enable food sovereignty and equity. This shows the viability of our model. We participated in Exponential Impact Accelerator's Amplify program. We got the first check from a venture firm, The Fund Rockies, which believes Konbit is building a platform for Climate Action that is scalable and brings social, economic and food sovereignty to frontline communities including rural Native American lands and urban BIPOC food deserts. We are currently in discussions with multiple impact investment firms keen on furthering the model as we look Climate Forward.? What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? #1. •1.1 Our research shows, the geodesic dome and geodesic tunnel design are very relevant to 4 season food production. We have geothermal pipes running under our pilot greenhouse that works as an Earth battery to maintain heat during the long pacific northwest winters. •1.2 Our research shows, the Konbit micro-farm manager, the Sovereign Food Steward has been able to engage members of the community around the design of the growing-structure farms that best serve the local needs. The youth through Facebook and members of community by stopping by have engaged in the experiment. The tribal elders are keen as well to share their knowledge as well as actually get their hands dirty in the soil of their land. •1.3 Both in terms of aesthetics and culture, there align with Wigwams and Longhouses that were indigenous to the Native American people. We believe an evolutionary design is like the traditional Walipini from South America wherein we move our geodesic dome build starting below frost list so we work with Earth to grow food. #2. •2.1 The interest generated among the members of the community to sign up for subscription model shows 100 people approximately 20 families can be fed healthy nutrient dense foods from the Konbit micro-farm. However, given some of the challenges with actually growing the food, the results of our research are inconclusive and additional time is required for further experimentation. 2.2 Phenological based experiments will take a longer time to show results. Some of the food are likely to grow in controlled condition through out the year. The results in our given time have been inconclusive. •2.3 The soil conditions are not conducive for growing food throughout the year. Remediation and regeneration of the soil is necessary which is a long term project and cannot be finish in the time line of the grant. Raised beds are the short and medium term solution to overcome the issues with the soil conditions. We have put the following raised beds in place to grow inside and outside the geodesic domes, in the interim. #3. 3.1 Our research shows we can easily connect hardware sensors and software, independent of the landscape and geographical constraints. Accessing the data can be a challenge when members of the community go in and out of service, however, the data is always kept up to date with the last update timestamp. The hardware sensors and software work well together and we are ready to be able to combine and commercial these as potential products available independent of the Konbit micro-farm. This enables for new revenue streams that can further our mission towards food sovereignty and equity across the country. 3.2 Our research enables easy furnish of data on a mobile app while also saving the data into secure repositories that can be accessed by any interested entity. The geo-location and performance of each micro-farm is available for sharing with the tribal, local, state and federal government. 3.3 research shows this is more difficult to capture and needs collaboration with Universities and organizations such as Project Drawdown and NCAR who have the scientific knowledge and know-how. A partnership and knowledge transfer will enable capturing these data points into our Konbit app. • 3.4 Our research indicates that community members are very open to using the Konbit App. However, they are not comfortable yet with digital tokens given the lack of understanding of the crypto and digital token space. We have however build the MVP and at appropriate time take it to market as an add-on to the Konbit App. We deliberately used a different color scheme for the token elements of the application in order to differentiate from the best of the app and also to let users know this is still an experiment. We are likely to change the look and feel as and when there is an uptake of this feature and capability. #4. 4.1 Our research includes partnering with Paschal Sherman Indian School and bringing tribal elders and indigenous knowledge experts into the mix in the context of growing culturally significant plants such as Atlantic Camas, etc. There are divergent opinions in the community on whether culturally important plants such be gathered and not developed. Further data collection on this through multiple growing seasons will let us know the direction to take on certain traditional crops. Otherwise, generally, there is support for growing traditional and mainstream food crops locally and community members like the aspect of building a local circular economy. 4.2 Our research shows that people are enthused about embracing the new while remaining tied to their tradition. Prof. Daniel Moerman, an American anthropologist at the University of Michigan, has been gracious to allow us to use data from his book in our mobile app for no cost. The community has embraced this data despite initial skepticism of cultural misappropriation. Every community is different yet most of them are open to new ideas and concepts while still preserving some of their cultural traditions. Many of the communities want to leapfrog into the Climate Forward Future and in that context, are very receptive to new ideas. 4.3 Our research indicates that further discussions are required among community members to see if they will open-source the knowledge for non-members. Currently, the app only shows data based on location and expects users to self-verify and validate as members of the community. This aligns with the UNDRIP (UN Declaration of Rights of Indigenous People for FPIC (Free, Prior, Informed Consent.) There are issues around data sovereignty that is as much needed as food and energy sovereignty. These issues continue to be tackled as we co-create with members of the community. On a case by case basis, we believe communities and tribes will allow for sharing of information as long as the data sovereignty and overall data governance is maintained and signed off on. #5. 5.1 Our research shows that this depends on the community. In CCT, the preference of the tribal council is to have the selection process handled by an organization such as Konbit. The call for entrepreneurs led us to have Tauni Bearcub join us as social entrepreneurs. We call such a social entrepreneur the Sovereign Food Steward. A member of the community suggested this name. Other communities across the country we have spoken to are keen on us working their tribal colleges or other affiliated entities to find the right social cultural entrepreneur to manage the Konbit farms. 5.2 Our research indicates this again depends on the community. The consensus is instead to bring the Sovereign Food Steward with a living wage to be a member of the Konbit ecosystem and incentivize them with the upside of running the micro-farm effectively and efficiently. Getting to breakeven point for each of the Konbit farm can take 6 to 18 months based on our analysis. This depends a how enterprising the social entrepreneur is and how engaged they are in their community. There is anticipated variability on how many will be open to paying a monthly subscription fee. We are exploring sliding scale and offering a menu of services-for-fee that could be different from the initial hypothesis of $250 subscription service fee. 5.3 Our research shows that while there is interest, there is a general lack of understanding of tokenomics. The community, in general, is embracing the idea of tracking their hours and value generated in the Konbit app. Translating this into actual digital tokens requires broader buy-in by the tribe into the concept of issuing their sovereign digital currency. Further research is required to implement UBI (universal basic income) in the context of work done in a Konbit micro-farm.

Publications

Progress 07/01/21 to 08/26/22

Outputs
Target Audience: In Phase 1, we have set up our pilot micro-farm site in Nespelem within the jurisdiction of the Confederated Colville Tribes (CCT.) We have a community member designated as the sovereign food steward/farm manager. We set up two snap-to- grow geodesic structures to grow traditional and mainstream food crops. Members of the community are engaged in the growing and consumption of healthy produce. The pilot uses the smart farming minimum viable product (MVP) -- a mobile app with an easy user interface and controls of IoT sensors and blockchain-based digital tokens. In terms of TRL (technical readiness level,) Konbit posits to be at 6, a prototype system being tested in our pilot micro-farm. We have interacted with a wide spectrum of stakeholders across the community in the Confederated Colville Tribes (CCT.) This includes Pascal Sherman Indian School, Washington State University Tribal Extension, State of WA, Department of Agriculture experts, USDA field office, members of the CIHA (Colville Indian Housing Authority,) tribal council members, the Nespelem Valley Electric, partners such as Gabriel Construction Development, Twende Solar, NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) and NCAT (National Center for Appropriate Technology.) Tauni Bearcub, a member of the tribe is now the Sovereign Food Steward for the micro-farm in Nesplem, WA within the jurisdiction of CCT. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Members of the community including those through TERO (Tribal Employment Rights Office) has enable over a dozen people be engaged during the entire process of setting up the micro-farm. Opportunities for person training and professional development have been provide to all the people who have engaged in the project. 1. The opportunity to communicate across culture 2. The opportunity to build our leadership skills 3. The opportunity and ability to listen and test out our business model 4. The opportunity to collaborate and synergize for the greater good 5 . The opportunity to think risk mitigation up front before launching into any project How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In December 2020, we presented at the IAC (Inter-Tribal Ag Council). We heard back from many Native American tribes keen on setting up micro-farms on their lands to enable food sovereignty and equity. This shows the viability of our model. We participated in Exponential Impact Accelerator's Amplify program. We got the first check from a venture firm, The Fund Rockies, which believes Konbit is building a platform for Climate Action that is scalable and brings social, economic and food sovereignty to frontline communities including rural Native American lands and urban BIPOC food deserts. We are currently in discussions with multiple impact investment firms keen on furthering the model as we look Climate Forward. Multiple communities across Tribal lands have seen the result of our project. Site visits have been conducted by other Pacific Northwest tribes to our micro-farm so we can share learnings from our pilot site. The results are being shared among members of the community through Facebook and direct face to face interactions 2. The tribal council as well as potential investors are being kept informed 3. A presentation was made and drew keen interest at the Inter Tribal Ag Council What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We completed all objectives and have inconclusive results regarding #2 because of poor soil quality as well as cost overruns. ?#1. • 1.1 Our research shows, the geodesic dome and geodesic tunnel design are very relevant to 4 season food production. We have geothermal pipes running under our pilot greenhouse that works as an Earth battery to maintain heat during the long pacific northwest winters. • 1.2 Our research shows, the Konbit micro-farm manager, the Sovereign Food Steward has been able to engage members of the community around the design of the growing-structure farms that best serve the local needs. The youth through Facebook and members of community by stopping by have engaged in the experiment. The tribal elders are keen as well to share their knowledge as well as actually get their hands dirty in the soil of their land. • 1.3 Both in terms of aesthetics and culture, there align with Wigwams and Longhouses that were indigenous to the Native American people. We believe an evolutionary design is like the traditional Walipini from South America wherein we move our geodesic dome build starting below frost list so we work with Earth to grow food. #2. • 2.1 The interest generated among the members of the community to sign up for subscription model shows 100 people approximately 20 families can be fed healthy nutrient dense foods from the Konbit micro-farm. However, given some of the challenges with actually growing the food, the results of our research are inconclusive and additional time is required for further experimentation. • 2.2 Phenological based experiments will take a longer time to show results. Some of the food are likely to grow in controlled condition through out the year. The results in our given time have been inconclusive. • 2.3 The soil conditions are not conducive for growing food throughout the year. Remediation and regeneration of the soil is necessary which is a long term project and cannot be finish in the time line of the grant. Raised beds are the short and medium term solution to overcome the issues with the soil conditions. We have put the following raised beds in place to grow inside and outside the geodesic domes, in the interim. #3. • 3.1 Our research shows we can easily connect hardware sensors and software, independent of the landscape and geographical constraints. Accessing the data can be a challenge when members of the community go in and out of service, however, the data is always kept up to date with the last update timestamp. The hardware sensors and software work well together and we are ready to be able to combine and commercial these as potential products available independent of the Konbit micro-farm. This enables for new revenue streams that can further our mission towards food sovereignty and equity across the country. • 3.2 Our research enables easy furnish of data on a mobile app while also saving the data into secure repositories that can be accessed by any interested entity. The geo-location and performance of each micro-farm is available for sharing with the tribal, local, state and federal government. • 3.3 research shows this is more difficult to capture and needs collaboration with Universities and organizations such as Project Drawdown and NCAR who have the scientific knowledge and know-how. A partnership and knowledge transfer will enable capturing these data points into our Konbit app. • 3.4 Our research indicates that community members are very open to using the Konbit App. However, they are not comfortable yet with digital tokens given the lack of understanding of the crypto and digital token space. We have however build the MVP and at appropriate time take it to market as an add-on to the Konbit App. We deliberately used a different color scheme for the token elements of the application in order to differentiate from the best of the app and also to let users know this is still an experiment. We are likely to change the look and feel as and when there is an uptake of this feature and capability #4. • 4.1 Our research includes partnering with Paschal Sherman Indian School and bringing tribal elders and indigenous knowledge experts into the mix in the context of growing culturally significant plants such as Atlantic Camas, etc. There are divergent opinions in the community on whether culturally important plants such be gathered and not developed. Further data collection on this through multiple growing seasons will let us know the direction to take on certain traditional crops. Otherwise, generally, there is support for growing traditional and mainstream food crops locally and community members like the aspect of building a local circular economy. • 4.2 Our research shows that people are enthused about embracing the new while remaining tied to their tradition. Prof. Daniel Moerman, an American anthropologist at the University of Michigan, has been gracious to allow us to use data from his book in our mobile app for no cost. The community has embraced this data despite initial skepticism of cultural misappropriation. Every community is different yet most of them are open to new ideas and concepts while still preserving some of their cultural traditions. Many of the communities want to leapfrog into the Climate Forward Future and in that context, are very receptive to new ideas. • 4.3 Our research indicates that further discussions are required among community members to see if they will open-source the knowledge for non-members. Currently, the app only shows data based on location and expects users to self-verify and validate as members of the community. This aligns with the UNDRIP (UN Declaration of Rights of Indigenous People for FPIC (Free, Prior, Informed Consent.) There are issues around data sovereignty that is as much needed as food and energy sovereignty. These issues continue to be tackled as we co-create with members of the community. On a case by case basis, we believe communities and tribes will allow for sharing of information as long as the data sovereignty and overall data governance is maintained and signed off on. #5. • 5.1 Our research shows that this depends on the community. In CCT, the preference of the tribal council is to have the selection process handled by an organization such as Konbit. The call for entrepreneurs led us to have Tauni Bearcub join us as social entrepreneurs. We call such a social entrepreneur the Sovereign Food Steward. A member of the community suggested this name. Other communities across the country we have spoken to are keen on us working their tribal colleges or other affiliated entities to find the right social cultural entrepreneur to manage the Konbit farms. • 5.2 Our research indicates this again depends on the community. The consensus is instead to bring the Sovereign Food Steward with a living wage to be a member of the Konbit ecosystem and incentivize them with the upside of running the micro-farm effectively and efficiently. Getting to breakeven point for each of the Konbit farm can take 6 to 18 months based on our analysis. This depends a how enterprising the social entrepreneur is and how engaged they are in their community. There is anticipated variability on how many will be open to paying a monthly subscription fee. We are exploring sliding scale and offering a menu of services-for-fee that could be different from the initial hypothesis of $250 subscription service fee. • 5.3 Our research shows that while there is interest, there is a general lack of understanding of tokenomics. The community, in general, is embracing the idea of tracking their hours and value generated in the Konbit app. Translating this into actual digital tokens requires broader buy-in by the tribe into the concept of issuing their sovereign digital currency. Further research is required to implement UBI (universal basic income) in the context of work done in a Konbit micro-farm

Publications

Progress 07/01/21 to 06/30/22

Outputs
Target Audience:In Phase 1, we have set up our pilot micro-farm site in Nespelem within the jurisdiction of the Confederated Colville Tribes (CCT.) We have a community member designated as the sovereign food steward/farm manager. We set up two snap-to-grow geodesic structures to grow traditional and mainstream food crops. Members of the community are engaged in the growing and consumption of healthy produce. The pilot uses the smart farming minimum viable product (MVP) -- a mobile app with an easy user interface and controls of IoT sensors and blockchain-based digital tokens.In terms of TRL (technical readiness level,) Konbit posits to be at 6, a prototype system being tested in our pilot micro-farm. We have interacted with a wide spectrum of stakeholders across the community in the Confederated Colville Tribes (CCT.)This includes Pascal Sherman Indian School, Washington State University Tribal Extension, State of WA, Department of Agriculture experts, USDA field office, members of the CIHA (Colville Indian Housing Authority,) tribal council members, the Nespelem Valley Electric, partners such as Gabriel Construction Development, Twende Solar, NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) and NCAT (National Center for Appropriate Technology.) Tauni Bearcub, a member of the tribe is now the Sovereign Food Steward for the micro-farm in Nesplem, WA within the jurisdiction of CCT. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The opportunity to communicate across culture The opportunity to build our leadership skills The opportunity and ability to listen and test out our business model The opportunity to collaborate and synergize for the greater good The opportunity to think risk mitigarion up front before launching into any project How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results are being shared among members of the community through Facebook and direct face to face interactions The tribal council as well as potential investors are being kept informed A presentation was made and drew keen interest at the Inter Tribal Ag Council What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Report on progress towards completion of the project including #1 and #2 objectives

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objectives #3, #4, #5 have been accomplished. Objectives #1 and #2 are in progress due to unforeseen delays. We have asked for an extension and plan to have these accomplished before end of our extension date

Publications