Performing Department
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Non Technical Summary
Our project will improve the quality of life on our reservation by providing the opportunity for tribal member to grow their own fresh produce which will in turn bring about a food secure and healthehier community. American Indian and Alaska Native people have long experienced lower health status when compared with other Americans. Lower life expectancy and disproportionate disease burden exist perhaps because of inadequate diet, disproportionate proverty, discrimination in the delivery of health services and cultural differences. Diseases of the heart, malignant neoplasm, unintentional injuries and diabetes are leading causes of American Indian and Alaska Natives deaths. American Indian adults have the highest rate of diabetes that any other race or ethnicity. In fact, they are as likely than Whites and Asian Americans and are 30% higher than Hispanics and Blacks and were nearly 5 times more likely than whites to have kidney Failure from diabetes. We are convinced that by providing tribal members with the opportunity to grow their own healthy food they will eat the products of their lablr and perhaps become healthier.Poor nutrition is assocated with early disease and death in the United States due to the increaed risk for diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Poor nutrition can affect anyone and not all Americans have the means to overcome this problem. Our project will ensure at 30 families on our reservation have consistent and equitable access to a variety of healthy, safe and afforable fresh foods coupled with informal educational opportunities to bolster nutrition securtiy and health.
Animal Health Component
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Research Effort Categories
Basic
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Applied
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Developmental
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Goals / Objectives
Stone Child College's (SCC) Tribal Extension Program is proposing to implement the Growing Roots and Cultivating Opportunities (GRCO) Project. The goal and objectives of our project directly address the NIFA Tribal Colleges' Extension Program - Special Emphasis purpose. Our Long-term Goal for the GRCO is as follows:Long-Term Goal: "To increase the capacity of Tribal Members to engage in innovative gardening techniques, build entrepreneurship, and receive informal education to bring about food sovereignty."The following represents our project objectives:Objective 1: During the project period of September 30, 2024 through September 29, 2026, SCC will advertise and select 15 participants a year (30 total over 2 years) to receive raised-bed gardens (inclusive of soil), seedlings, and gardening supplies as measured by participant sign-ups, raised-bed gardens constructed, vegetables planted, harvest records, and internal program records.Objective 2: During the same project period, SCC will host four informal educational workshops per year (8 total) in subjects such as, water catchment techniques, gardening best practices, weed and pest control, and hands-on food preservation techniques (both dehydration and canning) as measured by records of contracted expert presenters, workshops advertised and held, participant sign-in sheets, workshop evaluation instruments, and internal program records.Objective 3: During the same project period, SCC will host at least four weekend Farmers Market events on the SCC Campus that will include entrepreneurial assistance to the raised-bed garden participants as measured by Farmers Market events scheduled, advertised, and held, participant sign-in sheets, market evaluation instruments, and internal program records.
Project Methods
SCC isoffering the following cadre of activities to our portfolio for the project period: 1) Training community members to become proficient in gardening; 2) Informal educational workshops focusing on gardening, food preservation, and entrepreneurship; and 3) Purchasing raised-bed gardens to assist community members in producing locally grown fresh produce at their homes. These initiatives will culminate in a sustainable program, bringing us closer to achieving food sovereignty for our Tribal nation. Our major strategy will include purchasing and assisting with construction of at least four 8' x 4' raised-bed gardens (128 sq. ft. of space) for 15 community members each year (60 total each year) of the project. We will also provide the soil, gardening tools, and starter plants for the gardens. In addition, we will provide informal training by bringing in experts to provide workshops in subjects that include, but are not limited to: water catchment techniques, gardening best practices, weed and pest control, and hands-on food preservation techniques (both dehydration and canning). In order to attract participants, we will conduct a very robust outreach campaign through the use of flyers, social media, and our local radio station (KHEW 88.5). Based on our past experience with administering "food sovereignty" programs, we found that it was necessary to make it easier for participants to grow their own fresh produce utilizing techniques that are easier to manage. Given our unique geography, climate conditions, unpredictable weather patterns, and variety of soils (i.e., loam, sandy, silt, and clay), participants were having a difficult time growing quality vegetable and would become discouraged. Therefore, we have designed a project that provides them with a better chance of becoming successful gardeners and will in turn result in higher participation rates.