Progress 07/01/13 to 06/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The Michigan FRTEP program targets youth (ages 9 - 18) and adult tribal farmers from our four programmatic tribal partners: Bay Mills Chippewa Indian Community, Hannahville Potawatomi Indian Community, LIttle Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indiansand the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Although our programmatic activities were co-sponsored byour four FRTEP program partners, all sessions were open to the public and attendees included tribal members from the Grand Traverse Bay Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Kewanee Bay Indian Community and the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. Changes/Problems:With the maternity leave of our FRTEP instructor last summer only two tribal communities had Youth Farm Stand Project with coordinators hired and trained to support youth programming in their respective communities during this reporting period. A positive development was the decision with Hannahville Indian Community partners to transfer the Youth Farm Stand Project from the tribal health center to their Youth Services Department. This addressed the long-standing challenge of recruiting youth as Youth Services already has youth engaged in full-time summer programming. This change resulted in the greatest level of Hannahville youth participation in Youth Farm Stand Project with 95 tribal youth impacted by the program this past growing season. There was no summer FRTEP advisory board meeting scheduled due to the maternity leave of our FRTEP instructor. Our fall (actually scheduled for early winter) FRTEP advisory board meeting was cancelled due to weather advisory conditions that made travel unsafe. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Food Production Education Workshops Herb Gardening Activity June 22, 2017 @ Hannahville Farmers Market 30 participants Salad Bowl Gardening Activity June 29, 2017 @ Hannahville Farmers Market 15participants Table Top Oyster Mushroom Activity September 28, 2017 @ Hannahville Farmers Market 10participants Community Cider Pressing & Garlic Planting Education October 21, 2017 @ BMCC's Waishkey Bay Farm 43 participants Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference January 26 & 27, 2018 @ Acme, MI 21 FRTEP participants Honoring Our Relations: Seed Keeping Workshop February 27 & 28, 2018 @ Bay Mills 54participants Raised Bed Gardening Workshop March 10, 2018 @ Bay Mills Community College 36participants Facebook for Tribal Farms and Farmers Markets Workshop March 15, 2018 @ Hannahville Health Center/Zoom for Bay Mills Participants 6participants Hannahville Garden Planning & Seed Starting Workshop April 18, 2018 @Hannahville Community Building 32 participants Bay Mills Community Seed Starting Event April 21, 2018 @ Bay Mills Community College 81 participants Michigan Cottage Food Law Training May 10, 2018 @ Bay Mills Community College 12 participants Growing Saskatoons Workshop May 25, 2018 @ Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (in Harbor Springs) 11 participants Growing Strawberries & Raspberries May 23, 2018 @ Hannahville Indian Community 18 participants Farm Field Day June 16, 2018 @ BMCC's Waishkey Bay Farm 27 participants Tribal Youth Food System Engagement Hannahville Youth Farm Stand Project June, July & August 2017 @ Hannahville Indian Community Youth Services Department 95participants Ojibwe Charter School Cider Press Science October 3, 2017 @ Bay Mills tribal charter school 100participants JKL Bahweting Anishnabe Public School Academy Cider Press Science October 9 - 12, 2017 @ Sault Tribe's charter school 245participants Alger County 4H Harvest Festival October 14, 2017 @ UPREC 250participants JKL Bahweting PSA 7th Grade Farm Field Trip May 16, 2018 @ BMCC's Waishkey Bay Farm 43 participants Three Sisters Seed Starting Activity May 24, 2018 @ Bay Mills Boys & Girls Club 70 participants How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Michigan FRTEP continues to hold quarterly advisory committee meetings to identify training topics and share ideas and models of FRTEP collaboration between tribes. Michigan FRTEP staff are actively engaged in a number of local coordinating bodies that assist in distributing information about program results and help drive attendance to FRTEP-sponsored trainings. These include: Participate monthly in Sault Tribe's inter-departmental Tribal Food Sovereignty Collaborative Participate in monthly Wiisinidaa M'no Miijim (Let's Eat Good Food) meeting with Bay Mills Indian Community Frequent communications with Ziibimijwang Farm Board of Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Frequent communications with Hannahville Indian Community Wellness Coalition Participate in BMCC's Waishkey Bay Farm Advisory Board Participate in Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference Planning Committee, the premiere agricultural conference for the region What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The Michigan FRTEP program is well-established and continue to build on past successes in continuing to offer desired agricultural workshops for tribal farmers and gardeners and experiential learning involving food for tribal youth. The Michigan FRTEP advisory committee will continue to assist in guiding programmatic outreach activities.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The Michigan FRTEP program successfully conducted a number of food production education training programs targeting adult members of our four partner tribal communities (Bay Mills Indian Community, Hannahville Indian Community, Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians and the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians). The trainings covered growing techniques for tribal farmers and/or gardeners as well as marketing and value added food business opportunities. Topics included seed saving, transplant production, vegetable growing in northern climates, perennial fruit production, soil health and producing value added food products for direct to consumer sales. Youth programming provided experiential learning to tribal youth through a variety of activities in both classroom and community settings. The Youth Farm Stand Project combines entrepreneurial training and gardening education in tribal communities to support the development of the next generation of tribal farmers, gardeners and food system leaders. Participating youth sell vegetables they grow at local farmers' markets and frequently gift a portion of produce to tribal elders. Additional experiential food system learning occurred at the Ojibwe Charter School, JKL Bahweting Anishnabe Public School Academy and Bay Mills Boys & Girls Club where students participated in a cider press science education program and seed starting activities. Field trips to the Bay Mills Community College's Waishkey Bay Farm provided an out-of-classroom learning environment. In total, over 750 tribal adults and youth participated in FRTEP-sponsored programs for the progress year.
Publications
|
Progress 07/01/16 to 06/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience included the Anishinaabek in four individual Michigan tribes--Bay Mills Indian Community, Hannahville Indian Community, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The term Anishinaabek signifies the Potawatomi, Odawa, and Ojibwe Nations, which are represented by the four participating Tribes, the name that they call themselves and means "Original People." Each tribe represents individuals, staff members or employees. The project service area includes nine Michigan counties and covers over 9,000 square miles. There are approximately 10,500 American Indian residents in the proposed service area which constitutes 5.5% of the total population. Each of the tribal communities has contributed and benefited from the continued relationship building and support offered by Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) FRTEP initiatives since the implementation of the program. Each tribal community faces different food system conditions and situations. This diversity of situations among the Tribes enhances the ability of the Tribes to learn from each other's experiences. Changes/Problems:As noted in previous progress reports the ability to attract youth to food system trainings can be challenging. We changed our approach to more fully integrate our trainings through local school systems. This approach was very successful as it provided an experiential learning experience for students, assisted school personnel through meaningful field trips, and integrated food production with STEM learning objectives -- important to new economy success. Also, changes in tribal leadership has required us to "reset" relationships with new leadership teams. We recognize that tribal governance can change quickly so we have attempted to build trusting relationships that transcend political adjustments. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?As noted above a number of trainings were conducted for both adult and youth audiences. They included: • Quarterly gardening, farming, harvesting or food processing workshops at Bay Mills Community College Waishkey Bay Farm • Two gardening, farming, harvesting or food processing workshops at Little Traverse Bay Band, near Petoskey, MI. • Two gardening, farming, harvesting, or food processing workshops with Hannahville Indian Community • Training for Youth Farm Stand Project Coordinators • Cider Press science education program to classes at Ojibwe Charter School and JKL Bahweting Charter School. • Transplant product educational program at classes at Ojibwe Charter School and Brimley Area Schools in partnership with Waishkey Bay Farm • Six field trips to Waiskey Bay Farm to learn agriculture production techniques • Winter workshop for North Country Growers Guild. Attendees included Native American farmers, including beginning farmers. Topic was production practices in northern growing climates. • Local Garden Knowledge sharing day for beginning farmers and gardeners primarily in the Eastern UP. Per the advisory committee there was a need for ongoing agriculture production education to support the growing local food economy. Topics included seed saving methods/planning, water saving gardening techniques, soil health, integrated pest management and production techniques (facilitated round-table discussion by experienced local growers). • Waishkey Bay Farm honey pot gathering event provided honey bottling information, including food safety primer and pollinator discussion. • Beginning Farmer Webinar Series. Topics included blueberry production, crop nutrient management, aquaculture, planning and operating a mixed fruit orchard, and producing and selling eggs. • Produce Safety Alliance Training - provided a foundation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and Food Safety Modernization Action (FSMA) produce safety rule requirements. • Junior Master Gardener workshop provide "junior gardeners" information on how gardens and plants can enhance youth development. • Joint program with Michigan Farmers Market Association for Farmers Market Vendors, via webinar. This program specifically targeted farmers and small business owners selling at farmers markets. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information is disseminated to all of the partner tribal communities thorugh a variety of avenues, including group workshops, one-on-one consultations, through other Michigan State University Extension personnel, and through the MSU Native American Institute. Maintaining strong relationships through the Michigan FRTEP Advisory Council has been instrumental in reaching tribal members and identifying workshop/information topics. We also utilize a variety of other communication channels including email, tribal newspapers, county MSU Extension offices, and local newspapers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are continuing to conduct activities/trainings related to the grant deliverables as outlined in our orginal grant submission. Our relatively new (1 year in position) FRTEP Program Coordinator has developed a trusting relationship with each of our tribal partners, resulting in our ability to effectively offer value-added education aligned with the goals and objectives of the national FRTEP program.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The Michigan FRTEP program successfully conducted a number of training programs targeting adult members of our four partner tribal communities (Bay Mills Indian Community, Hannahville Indian Community, Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians and the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians). The trainings centered around food production and were intended for tribal farmers and/or gardeners. Topics included seed saving, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), crop nutrient management, honey bottling, and vegetable growing in northern climates. Additionally, youth programming provided experiential learning to tribal youth through a variety of activities. The Youth Farm Stand Project combines entrepreneurial training with gardening education at three tribal communities. Participating youth sell vegetables they produce at local farmers' markets. Additional experiential food learning occurred at the Ojibwe Charter School and JKL Bahweting Charter School where students participated in a cider press science education program. Field trips to the Bay Mills Indian Community's Waiskey Bay Farm provided an out-of-classroom learning environment. Finally, community food systems efforts through the FRTEP program helped to connect tribal farmers with local buyers. Additionally, the JKL Bahweting School initiated a "boat to school" purchasing program which connects the harvests from tribal fishermen with the school's cafeteria. In total, nearly 200 tribal adults and youth members participated in FRTEP-sponsored programs for the progress year.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
O'Donnell,K., and Ivan, D., Youth Entrepreneurship approaches through the Michigan FRTEP Program, Presentation at the Intertribal Agriculture Council FRTEP Gathering, December, 2016
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Progress 07/01/15 to 06/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience included the Anishinaabek in four individual Michigan tribes--Bay Mills Indian Community, Hannahville Indian Community, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The term Anishinaabek signifies the Potawatomi, Odawa, and Ojibwe Nations, which are represented by the four participating Tribes, the name that they call themselves and means "Original People." Each tribe represents individuals, staff members or employees. The project service area includes nine Michigan counties and covers over 9,000 square miles. There are approximately 10,500 American Indian residents in the proposed service area which constitutes 5.5% of the total population. Each of the tribal communities has contributed and benefited from the continued relationship building and support offered by Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) FRTEP initiatives since the implementation of the program. Each tribal community faces different food system conditions and situations. This diversity of situations among the Tribes enhances the ability of the Tribes to learn from each other's experiences. Changes/Problems:The ability to attract youth to the various food system endeavors continues to present many challenges, with our tribal partners recognizing the obstacles we collectively face.Some of the activities currently associated with the grant, such as preparing the hoop houses, watering the crops, and harvesting the crops, require youth to work during the summer months. This precludes the ability to structure the activities as part of the school schedule or even to associate the activities with organized after school activities. This has resulted in few youths participating in the process of growing vegetables. The tribes differ in how well developed their approaches are to involving youth in this grant's projects. Some of the tribes face "silo" problems; that is, the food systems advocates are organizationally separate and distinct from the youth or education departments within the tribes governance structure. Internal fragmentation and isolation frequently characterize the tribal approaches to food systems. The Youth Farm Stands Projects is a strategy that has the support of the tribal participants. These structured projects may provide the motivation for the youth to respond in a positive and productive way. The political, electoral system within each tribe can create difficulties for efforts to establish a more traditional food system. Tribal elections have real consequences in terms of support for initiatives regarding food system development. Within each tribe there is a need to understand the unique political dynamics that operate. With some tribes, political support is fragile and can be destroyed by the results of a council or chairperson election. However, without the support of some elected leaders, sustained programmatic initiatives within some of the tribes is doomed. Balancing these two realities, the risk of political support evaporating after an election and the need for political support, is a unique task within each tribe. The administrative staff within each tribe can be the best authorities for determining their tribe's political atmosphere regarding the grant's projects. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?MSU and MSU Extension provide various professional development resources for extension educators. Opportunities include a yearly gathering and monthly virtual communications on a variety of topics related to the grant. The FRTEP Advisory Council includes a sharing session that is informational for all attendees. An educational component is included in each meeting on various related topics. Presentations were also given atthe Northern Michigan Small Farms Conference (attended by more than 1,000 attendees, including many tribal members)and at LTBB. Local Food Summits, Agriculture Conferences, and Workshops were promoted and/or attended to strengthenknowledge of local food systems. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information is disseminated to all of the tribal communities through a variety of avenues. Maintaining strong relationships through the FRTEP Advisory Council has been a key component in reaching each tribal community. Email, Tribal Newspapers, County MSU Extension Offices, and local newspapers have all been utilized. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Wecontinue to conduct activities/trainings related to thegrant deliverables as outlined in our original proposal. We have replaced our FRTEP Coordinator (resignation of previous coordinator; hired new coordinator) and have met with the Native American Institute at Michigan State University to discuss a deeper relationship with the Institute and their programmatic resources.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Inter-Tribal Projects FRTEP Inter-Tribal Advisory Board Meeting & Sharing Session held April 11th Dates and locations set for next two FRTEP Inter-Tribal Advisory Board Meetings Establish FRTEP Inter-Tribal Sharing Facebook Group As requested by FRTEP Advisory Board Youth Farm Stand Project Coordinator Training With Bay Mills and Hannahville Indian Communities Determining YFSP coordinators for LTBB and Sault Tribe is ongoing Included plant walk lead by elder Coordinators reviewed sample resource library an choose books and supplies that are most relevant to their program goals and needs Together at the Farm: U.P. Food Conference Outreach to Tribal Members and Key Tribal Staff Promoting scholarships for tribal farmers, tribal market gardeners Ad in Bay Mills News, multiple Facebook pages, tribal food groups Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians FRTEP participation in quarterly Sault Tribe Food Sovereignty Collaborative Meeting FRTEP Participation in monthly Chippewa County Healthy Food Access Coalition Meeting Presentation on Incubator Kitchens to Sault Tribe Housing Department staff Technical assistance to Manistique School Garden Project (initiative funded by Sault Tribe Community Health Department) on siting school hoop house and production schedules and expectation Technical assistance to K.I. Sawyer Community Center Garden Project (initiative funded by Sault Tribe Community Health Department) on siting garden and hoop house Hannahville Indian Community Four FRTEP Scholarships to attend Great Lakes Intertribal Food Summit in Hopkins, MI Three community members and one key non-native tribal employee An elder who had attended prepared a recipe she had learned at the summit and shared with group at garden planning workshop the follow week HIC Garden Planning Workshop Connected Hannahville Aquaponics Project to MSU Extension food safety experts for technical assistance on safe processing and post-harvest handling of produce and fish Letter of Support for Hannahville Aquaponics Project Phase II Grant Proposal Connected Hannahville staff with MSU Extension consumer horticulture educator Group has begun planning workshop on soil health for June. Connected Hannahville Aquaponics Project team to similar project in Oneida (tribal community located approximately 2 hours away) for possible inter-tribal sharing on aquaponics Connection to Oneida project was made at National Farm to Cafeteria Conference Hannahville Indian Community Farmer's Market and Food System Group Bay Mills Facilitated connection between local MSU Extension SNAP-Ed staff and Bay Mills Health Center Staff to expand the number of Bay Mills elders participating in Project Fresh (formerly Senior Project Fresh) farmer's market coupon program Participation in monthly Wiisinidaa M'no Miijim (Let's Eat Good Food) meetings. Attended Indigenous Farming Conference with BMCC team Garden Planning & Transplant Production Workshop at Waishkey Bay Farm In partnership with BMCC Included hands on seed starting MSU Extension Vegetable Production Workshop at Bay Mills Community College - IPM, compost, cover crops, season extension, supporting pollinators NOT FUNDED OR COORDINATED THROUGH FRTEP Garden Talking Circle with Community Elders In partnership with BMCC Celebration of the Strawberry Moon (O'demana Giiziis) as part of monthly Wiisinidaa M'no Miijim In partnership with BMCC Strawberry plant give away to participants to increase home scale strawberry production Information on site selection, planting and care for strawberry plants Teaching from elder in Bay Mills Culture Department MAEAP Farm Field Day at Waishkey Bay Farm MSU Extension participation in event planning team Abbey Palmer from UP Research teaching hands on season extension workshop as part of event Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians FRTEP outreach at LTBB High School Celebration Day A number of youth signed up to learn more about Youth Farm Stand Project once LTBB determines a coordinator for the season. Edible Landscaping Project Determined by LTBB as FRTEP partnership focus project. Goal of establishing a demonstration trail/path of edible plants at the LTBB Natural Resource Department Building Focus will be on perennial native plants as a way of re-introducing tribal members to these foods and serve as a model for what can be added to landscaping at housing sites Identified MSU Extension resource people with expertise on specific plants Developed outline of trail development process Connected LTBB team with MSU Extension educator with small scale season extension expertise Group has begun planning season extension workshop for August
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Smutek, B., Local Food Systems and Youth Entrepreneurship. Presentation to Michigan Intertribal Council, September, 2015.
|
Progress 07/01/14 to 06/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience included the Anishinaabek in four individual Michigan tribes--Bay Mills Indian Community, Hannahville Indian Community, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The term Anishinaabek signifies the Potawatomi, Odawa, and Ojibwe Nations, which are represented by the four participating Tribes, the name that they call themselves and means "Original People." Each tribe represents individuals, staff members or employees. The project service area includes nine Michigan counties and covers over 9,000 square miles. There are approximately 10,500 American Indian residents in the proposed service area which constitutes 5.5% of the total population. Each of the tribal communities has contributed and benefited from the continued relationship building and support offered by Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) FRTEP initiatives since the implementation of the program. Each tribal community faces different food system conditions and situations. This diversity of situations among the Tribes enhances the ability of the Tribes to learn from each other's experiences. Changes/Problems:The ability to attract youth to the various food system endeavors faces many challenges. Each of tribes realize that this is a major obstacle to success. Many of the activities currently associated with the grant, such as preparing the hoop houses, watering the crops, and harvesting the crops, require youth to work during the summer months. This precludes the ability to structure the activities as part of the school schedule or even to associate the activities with organized after school activities. This has resulted in few youths participating in the process of growing the crops. The tribes differ in how well developed their approaches are to involving youth in this grant's projects. Some of the tribes face "silo" problems; that is, the food systems advocates are organizationally separate and distinct from the youth or education departments within the tribes governance structure. Internal fragmentation and isolation frequently characterize the tribal approaches to food systems. The Youth Farm Stands Projects is a strategy that has the support of the tribal participants. These structured projects may provide the motivation for the youth to respond in a positive and productive way. There is a need for the MSUE personnel to be mindful of its use of language with regard to each tribe's history and culture. For example, the phrase "federally recognized" is generally acceptable and accurate. However, one tribe uses the the term "reaffirmation" to identify the nature of its status relative to the federal government. It is important for MSUE staff to understand the essential role of tribal sovereignty as an aspect of tribal history and identity. The recognition of this status by MSUE staffers can contribute to their ability to cooperatively work with tribal entities. The relationship building sessions sponsored by the grant contributed to a clarification of this issue by the frank discussions that took place. However, tribal sovereignty will continue to be an important aspect of the continuing relationship between the tribal governments and MSUE. The political, electoral system within each tribe can create difficulties for efforts to establish a more traditional food system. Tribal elections have real consequences in terms of support for initiatives regarding food system development. Within each tribe there is a need to understand the unique political dynamics that operate. With some tribes, political support is fragile and can be destroyed by the results of a council or chairperson election. However, without the support of some elected leaders, sustained programmatic initiatives within some of the tribes is doomed. Balancing these two realities, the risk of political support evaporating after an election and the need for political support, is a unique task within each tribe. The administrative staff within each tribe can be the best authorities for determining their tribe's political atmosphere regarding the grant's projects. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?MSU and MSU Extension provide various professional development resources for extension educators. Opportunities include a yearly gathering and monthly virtual communications on a variety of topics. The FRTEP Advisory Council includes a sharing session that is informational for all attendees. An educational component is included in each meeting on various related topics. Dan Cornelius, Inter-tribal Agriculture Council, presented at the Northern Michigan Small Farms Conference and met youth from the YFSP groups. Local Food Summits, Agriculture Conferences, and Workshops were promoted and/or attended. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information is disseminated to all of the tribal communities through a variety of avenues. Maintaining strong relationships through the FRTEP Advisory Council has been a key component in reaching each tribal community. Email, Tribal Newspapers, County MSU Extension Offices, and local newspapers have all been utilized. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We intend to continue to offer educational programs and trainings as discussed above. Additional Youth Farm Stand projects will be initiated.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Relationship Building for Better Partnerships Stakeholders from Bay Mills Indian Community (BMCC), Hannahville Indian Community, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBB), and Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians met quarterly for FRTEP Advisory Council Meetings (& Intertribal Sharing) and discussed food systems, security, and sovereignty issues. The Hannahville Food System group and the Sault Tribe Food Sovereignty Collaborative continue to meet and grow. LTBB continued with regular meetings of the Agriculture Ad-hoc committee and BMCC Waishkey Bay Farm is starting a food sovereignty group and farmer's market. Each of the tribes has used the focus of these newly established groups to seek out additional funding and educational opportunities. The relationships developed between Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) educators and the four tribes during the Relationship Building sessions continue to sustain and strengthen beneficial partnerships and programming. Examples include additional workshops on food safety and nutrition, and Hannahville's thriving farmers' market. Winona LaDuke was a keynote speaker for the Northern Michigan Small Farms Conference, as a result of relationship building between tribes and MSUE. Anishinaabe New Economy BMCC Waishkey Bay Farm has been actively recruiting BMCC Ojibwemowin (Ojibwe Language) speakers to incorporate cultural elements into YFSP activities and other production related trainings. Previous workshop topics included: honey production, organic gardening, pasture poultry, and a youth farm field day. The poultry and field day will be repeated. MSUE continues to partner with Dan Cornelius, Intertribal Agriculture Council specialist. He has presented at the Northern Michigan Small Farms Conference twice and the Mobile Farmer's market has visited each of the tribal communities. Short presentations have been provided for YFSP youth using the Mobile Farmer's Market. MSUE local food summits were also held and attendance by tribal members has increased each year. Tribal Youth Farm Stand Project (YFSP) Three tribal YFSP coordinators have been hired for the summer to implement the program in Hannahville, LTBB, and Sault Tribe sites. A two-day training was held to review the YFSP toolkit and additional resources were provided from MSUE and FoodCorps. BMCC attended the training because they will be implementing the YFSP program using current staff at the farm. All four tribes have donated work space for the coordinators and a volunteer site supervisor to assist with youth recruitment and program activities. The YFSP coordinators have been successfully completing related training on topics such as Michigan Cottage Food Law and tribally sponsored gardening workshops. Each coordinator will be modifying the YFSP activities to incorporate the culture, language and traditions of the Native communities they are working in with the youth. Local farmers and agencies, such as the Conservation District, have donated seeds, plants, and fruit trees for the youth in the YFSP program. Each of the YFSP sites will also be learning more about local 4-H programs and the benefits of being a 4-H group. BMCC is still working on implementing a 4-H program based on the YFSP model.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Presentation
Smutek, B. Youth Entrepreneurship. Presentation at the Great Lakes Intertribal Food Summit, Green Bay, WI. (2015, April).
|
Progress 07/01/13 to 06/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience included the Anishinaabek in four individual Michigan tribes--Bay Mills Indian Community, Hannahville Indian Community, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. The term Anishinaabek signifies the Potawatomi, Odawa, and Ojibwe Nations, which are represented by the four participating Tribes, the name that they call themselves and means “Original People.” Each tribe represents individuals, staff members or employees. The project service area includes nine Michigan counties and covers over 9,000 square miles. There are approximately 10,500 American Indian residents in the proposed service area which constitutes 5.5% of the total population. Each of the tribal communities has contributed and benefited from the continued relationship building and support offered by Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) FRTEP initiatives since the implementation of the program. Each tribal community faces different food system conditions and situations. This diversity of situations among the Tribes enhances the ability of the Tribes to learn from each others’ experiences. Changes/Problems: The ability to attract youth to the various food system endeavors faces many challenges. Each of tribes realize that this is a major obstacle to success. Many of the activities currently associated with the grant, such as preparing the hoop houses, watering the crops, and harvesting the crops, require youths to work during the summer months. This precludes the ability to structure the activities as part of the school schedule or even to associate the activities with organized after school activities. This has resulted in few youths participating in the process of growing the crops.The tribes differ in how well developed their approaches are to involving youth in this grant’s projects. Some of the tribes face “silo” problems; that is, the food systems advocates are organizationally separate and distinct from the youth or education departments within the tribes governance structure. Internal fragmentation and isolation frequently characterize the tribal approaches to food systems.The Youth Farm Stands Projects is a strategy that has the support of the tribal participants. These structured projects may provide the motivation for the youth to respond in a positive and productive way. There is a need for the MSUE personnel to be mindful of its use of language with regard to each tribe’s history and culture. For example, the phrase “federally recognized” is generally acceptable and accurate. However, one tribe uses the the term “reaffirmation” to identify the nature of its status relative to the federal government. It is important for MSUE staff to understand the essential role of tribal sovereignty as an aspect of tribal history and identity. The recognition of this status by MSUE staffers can contribute to their ability to cooperatively work with tribal entities. The relationship building sessions sponsored by the grant contributed to a clarification of this issue by the frank discussions that took place. However, tribal sovereignty will continue to be an important aspect of the continuing relationship between the tribal governments and MSUE. The political, electoral system within each tribe can create difficulties for efforts to establish a more traditional food system. Tribal elections have real consequences in terms of support for initiatives regarding food system development. Within each tribe there is a need to understand the unique political dynamics that operate. With some tribes, political support is fragile and can be destroyed by the results of a council or chairperson election. However, without the support of some elected leaders, sustained programmatic initiatives within some of the tribes is doomed. Balancing these two realities, the risk of political support evaporating after an election and the need for political support, is a unique task within each tribe. The administrative staff within each tribe can be the best authorities for determining their tribe’s political atmosphere regarding the grant’s projects. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? MSU and MSU Extension provide various professional development resources for extension educators. Opportunities include a yearly gathering and monthly virtual communications on a variety of topics. The FRTEP Advisory Council includes a sharing session that is informational for all attendees. An educational component is included in each meeting on various related topics. Dan Cornelius, Inter-tribal Agriculture Council, presented at the Northern Michigan Small Farms Conference and at LTBB. Local Food Summits, Agriculture Conferences, and Workshops were promoted and/or attended How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Information is disseminated to all of the tribal communities through a variety of avenues. Maintaining strong relationships through the FRTEP Advisory Council has been a key component in reaching each tribal community. Email, Tribal Newspapers, County MSU Extension Offices, and local newspapers have all been utilized. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We have established the groundwork to meet each of the grant deliverables as outlined in our original proposal.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Relationship Building for Better Partnerships Stakeholders from Bay Mills Indian Community (BMCC), Hannahville Indian Community, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBB), and Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians met quarterly for FRTEP Advisory Council Meetings (& Intertribal Sharing) and discussed food systems, security, and sovereignty issues. These gathering resulted in the creation of the Hannahville Food System group and the Sault Tribe Food Sovereignty Collaborative. LTBB continued with regular meetings of the Agriculture Ad-hoc committee and BMCC Waishkey Bay Farm was a strong partner in further developing these relationships. Each of the tribes has used the focus of these newly established groups to seek out additional funding and educational opportunities. For example, the Sault Tribe Early Education program applied for a Farm to School planning grant and BMCC was awarded a competitive First Nations grant to implement the Tribal Youth Farm Stand Project program. The relationships developed between Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) educators and the four tribes during the Relationship Building sessions have continued to sustain and strengthen beneficial partnerships and programming. Examples include the Sault Tribe “Planting Lifeways” gardening program, additional workshops on fruit trees and nutrition, and Hannahville’s thriving farmers’ market. Anishinaabe New Economy BMCC Waishkey Bay Farm hosted an apple tree pruning workshop with MSU Extension in coordination with local BMCC Ojibwemowin (Ojibwe Language) speakers to incorporate culturally relevant elements into the workshop. Future workshops scheduled for this year are on these topics: honey production, organic gardening, pasture poultry, and a youth farm field day. MSUE partnered with LTBB and hosted Dan Cornelius, Intertribal Agriculture Council specialist, during a workshop presented at the Northern Michigan Small Farms Conference and a special presentation to the LTBB elected leadership. This was a timely connection since LTBB has recently purchased a farm. MSUE local food summits were also held and inspired the Sault Tribe USDA director to seek additional funding for growing and distributing traditional foods. Tribal Youth Farm Stand Project (YFSP) Three tribal YFSP coordinators have been hired for the summer to implement the program in Hannahville, LTBB, and Sault Tribe sites. A two-day training was held to review the YFSP toolkit and additional resources were provided from MSUE and FoodCorps. BMCC attended the training because they will be implementing the YFSP program using funds awarded from a First Nations grant. All four tribes have donated work space for the coordinators and a volunteer site supervisor to assist with youth recruitment and program activities. The YFSP coordinators have been successfully completing related training on topics such as Michigan Cottage Food Law and tribally sponsored gardening workshops. Each coordinator will be modifying the YFSP activities to incorporate the culture, language and traditions of the Native communities they are working in with the youth. Local farmers and agencies, such as the Conservation District, have donated seeds, plants, and fruit trees for the youth in the YFSP program. Each of the YFSP sites will also be learning more about local 4-H programs and the benefits of being a 4-H group. BMCC is planning on implementing a 4-H program based on YFSP next summer.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Smutek, B. Working in Native American Tribal Communities.
Panel presentation at the National eXtension Annual Conference: Innovating and Networking Our Way to a More Engaged Future, Sacramento, CA. (2013, March).
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