Progress 07/01/13 to 06/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The FRTEP program at Fort Berthold has focused on promoting environmental and agricultural education programs for tribal youth, as well as establishing community gardening projects to benefit youth, elders, and families on the reservation. Our office also worked with farmers/ranchers to control invasive species (leafy spurge) on Fort Berthold rangelands. In addition, our office offered nutrition education programs for tribal youth and families, including the Dining with Diabetes program and in-school enrichment programming to promote healthy choices and improved nutrition. Changes/Problems:Our office encountered some challenges implementing the rangeland outreach component that was originally written into the grant. We had planned to partner with the tribal college to promote more sustainable land management practices among ranchers, but there was a high staff turnover in the ag department which prevented this collaboration from occurring. Hence our office primarily focused on youth development and community gardening projects during this grant cycle. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Our project has provided volunteers with the opportunity to learn more about 4-H. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Articles have been printed in local newspapers describing our work in local communities and our office also has a visible presence at community events and in the local schools. Information is also frequently spread through word of mouth, allowing community members to learn more about the activities our office is involved with. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The NDSU Extension office at Fort Berthold has been successful in increasing participation in 4-H, improving agricultural and environmental knowledge among youth, and promoting youth skills development in creating traditional arts/crafts. In-school enrichment programming was offered at Twin Buttes Elementary, White Shield School, and Mandaree School. Youth had the opportunity to grow plants in the classroom, including butterfly and pizza gardens, traditional seeds (Hidatsa and Arikara beans), and learned about the habitats of North Dakota and their importance. A new afterschool 4-H club was started with the assistance of volunteers at the Mandaree School, with nearly 50 kids signing up to participate. Youth had the opportunity to learn leathercrafting (including sewing their own medicine bags), plant seeds and flowers, learn about farming, and much more. Youth 4-H projects have also been entered into the North Dakota State Fair each year, where previously there had been no representation from Fort Berthold. Several community gardening projects have also been established on the reservation by our office, including a youth garden at the New Town Head Start, and raised beds at the Nishu Elders Center and Arikara Cultural Center in White Shield. Head Start youth have had the opportunity to learn about plant growth and nutrition, while also planting Mandan Bride Corn seedlings and harvesting the pumpkins and squash their classes planted. Our office has also collected and distributed flea beetles to ranchers in order to control the spread of leafy spurge.
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Progress 07/01/15 to 06/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period, our FRTEP program primarily targeted tribal youth and farmers/producers at Fort Berthold. In-school enrichment programming was offered in New Town, White Shield and Twin Buttes communities with a focus on agricultural and environmental education, as well as nutrition and traditional arts/crafts. After-school and summer 4-H programming was also offered in White Shield and Mandaree. Our outreach efforts to farmers and producers centered around forages and invasive species management. We also participated in gardening projects at the Arikara Cultural Center in White Shield and the New Town Head Start. Changes/Problems:We have had to revise our approach to producer education about rangeland health and were unable to hold the Rangeland Health Meetings we had planned in collaboration with the tribal college due to staff turnover. We will continue to focus on our leafy spurge bio-control program and increase the number of beetles collected and the number of release sites at Fort Berthold. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided opportunities for youth development partners to gain archery certification, and for volunteers to gain experience managing an afterschool 4-H program. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results of our program activities have been disseminated by word of mouth, through newspaper articles, and in school and segment newsletters. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For our youth development goals, we will continue offering in-school enrichment programming on agricultural and environmental themes, as well as afterschool and summer 4-H programs in the different communities on the reservation. For our producer/farmer goals, we will continue to participate in flea beetle collection days, distribute beetles and information to tribal producers and farmers, and provide information, resources, and assistance with rangeland, forage, and crop issues.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This was a very productive reporting period in working towards our project goals. In order to expand youth development opportunities for tribal youth at Fort Berthold, a new afterschool 4-H program was formed at Mandaree School with significant enthusiasm and support from students, community members, and staff. Over 35 kids enrolled as 4-H members and had the opportunity to participate in hands-on learning activities in diverse subject areas (gardening, birds, arts/crafts, nutrition, etc). Our summer 4-H program in White Shield also allowed youth to participate in leathercraft activities, learn about making healthy choices, and more. In-school enrichment programming at Twin Buttes and Mandaree Schools improved agricultural literacy and environmental knowledge among tribal youth as they learned about the prairie and other habitats of North Dakota, watersheds, the food chain, soils, maize, and other topics from a culturally-relevant perspective. Students also had the opportunity to grow traditional seeds (Arikara and Hidatsa beans) in the classroom. Our youth gardening project at the New Town Head Start incorporated classes on gardening and nutrition, as well as all four classrooms harvesting squash from their own raised bed garden. Our office also participated in community-level events to promote improved nutrition and access to gardening information and resources. We were involved with the White Horse Woman Outreach Program and set up tables with printed materials and pots/seeds for the kids to plant traditional beans in the Four Bears, Parshall, and White Shield communities. In order to reach our producer goals of increasing awareness about leafy spurge and the use of bio-control methods, flea beetles were collected during July 2015 and June 2016 and distributed to farmers for release on Ft Berthold ranglelands. Informational materials were also provided to increase awareness about the control of leafy spurge and the effectiveness of bio-control methods.
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Progress 07/01/14 to 06/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:The NDSU Extension office primarily focuses on working with tribal youth at Ft Berthold to improve agricultural and environmental literacy, as well as providing opportunities for positive youth development (including archery and traditional arts/crafts programs). In-school enrichment programming has been offered at schools in Twin Buttes, Mandaree, New Town, and White Shield, as well as afterschool and summer 4-H programming in Parshall and New Town. Nutrition education is another major priority of our office among both youth and elders, and we are also implementing various community gardening projects across the reservation to improve local nutrition and agricultural knowledge. Our office also provides assistance to local farmers and ranchers, including information, tools, and training regarding farm business mgmt, livestock and rangeland health, invasive species, and more. Changes/Problems:Producer objectives have been modified to focus more on small-scale sustainable agricultural initiatives and horticulture projects. Staff turnover at the tribal college has impacted our ability to partner with the Land Grant Dept on our proposed rangeland education component, and our office is solicited much more frequently for information and assistance with horticultural issues and gardening projects. Our agricultural goals will now prioritize the management of our existing gardening projects and establishing educational programs to promote improved horticultural knowledge in local communities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Program participants acquired hands-on training and skills development through experiential learning opportunities. Program staff were able to improve their knowledge of tribal extension programs and issues by participating in professional development opportunities, including attending the annual Intertribal Agriculture Council/FRTEP meetings in Las Vegas. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Information regarding our programs is disseminated through local media and flyers, collaboration with our community partners, and by word of mouth. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The NDSU Extension office will continue to partner with the TAT Boys and Girls Club during the 2015 Culture Camp to provide opportunities for positive youth development on the reservation through our archery program. We will also assist Fort Berthold Community College with their summer Science Camp for youth. Through our community 4-H programs, youth will once again have their 4-H projects exhibited at the 2015 North Dakota State Fair to showcase their skills and mastery in different 4-H program areas. Our office plans to assist in invasive species management on Fort Berthold rangelands by collecting and distributing flea beetles to interested landowners again this summer. We will also focus on maintaining and expanding our community gardening projects at the New Town Head Start, Arikara Cultural Center, and Twin Buttes Boys and Girls Club to improve nutrition, foster healthy choices, and support local sustainable agricultural initiatives. During the upcoming school year, our office will resume our agricultural and natural resource-themed enrichment programming in schools across the reservation to increase environmental awareness and agricultural literacy among tribal youth.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During the past year, youth participation has increased as we have expanded our enrichment programming to new schools and worked with a greater number of kids during our summer Culture Camp program in partnership with the Three Affiliated Tribes (TAT) Boys and Girls Club. Tribal youth were able to gain greater skills and experience in archery, beadwork, leathercraft, and pottery-making, with 4-H projects entered once again into the 2014 North Dakota State Fair. Youth at White Shield School, Twin Buttes Elem, and Mandaree School received in-depth programming on natural resource issues for improved environmental knowledge, as well as hands-on experience growing plants (including traditional seeds) in the classroom. A youth garden was planted again this year at the New Town Head Start, with each classroom planting their own raised beds with squash, watermelon, and pumpkins. Producer objectives were modified this year to focus more on sustainable agricultural initiatives involving local food production through community-level gardening projects. Raised beds were established at the White Shield Senior Center and Arikara Cultural Center--with community members reserving individual garden beds to grow their own produce. High tunnels are also in the process of being established in White Shield and Twin Buttes to provide educational opportunities in organic horticultural production and revive the agricultural traditions of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara tribes. We have also partnered with the Fort Berthold Community College Native Studies Dept to provide information and support to gardeners, and promoted community outreach through information sessions that were held in New Town, Mandaree, Twin Buttes, and Parshall. Our office also partnered with the Ft Berthold Diabetes Program in 2014 to offer the Dining with Diabetes program to elders in White Shield in order to help them better manage their diabetes through meal planning. Nutrition programming was provided in local schools as well to help youth make healthier choices.
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Progress 07/01/13 to 06/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: The NDSU Extension Service has worked with diverse groups on the Ft Berthold Indian Reservation to tailor our programming to local needs. Working with tribal youth has been a major priority of our office and we have offered in-school enrichment programming, as well as afterschool and summer 4-H programs, on agriculture, natural resources, and nutrition topics in the different reservation communities. We also partnered with the Three Affiliated Tribes Boys and Girls Club on a 2012-2013 Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) 4-H Tribal Youth grant to teach traditional skills to at-risk youth on the reservation. Our office assisted the Juvenile Justice Center as well in planting a garden, and another youth garden was established at the New Town Head Start. In addition, we worked with tribal elders and community members to get garden projects established at the White Shield Nishu Elders senior center and the Arikara Cultural Center. Nutrition education for adults has been another important focus of our FRTEP program, and our office offered the Dining with Diabetes program in New Town and White Shield during the past year to help tribal members better manage their diabetes. Our office also provided information and resources to farmers/producers at Ft Berthold to improve production practices and farm business management skills. Changes/Problems: We have modified our producer goals of increasing awareness about leafy spurge, bio-control methods, and grazing systems due to the limited availability of flea beetles in the past year and a changeover in staff among the community partners we had been working with in these areas. Our office is instead pursuing more sustainable forms of agriculture with an emphasis on gardening and horticulture, and we will focus on working with small-scale growers to increase local food production and the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables.. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This project provided opportunities for volunteers to gain experience working with and teaching youth. This grant also allowed the Co-PI/Extension Agent to attend the Intertribal Agriculture Council annual meeting to network with other FRTEP professionals and gain new programming ideas and insights. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Information regarding our programs and activities has been disserminated to local communities through community meetings, newspaper articles, radio, flyers, and word-of-mouth. Our close partnerships with local organizations and community groups have also greatly expanded the reach of our programming efforts. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? During the next reporting period, our office will continue to offer summer, in-school, and afterschool 4-H programming in the areas of agriculture, horticulture, the environment, and nutrition/health. Additional raised beds will be constructed at the White Shield School and Community Center, as well as at the Parshall Head Start. High tunnels are in the process of being established in Twin Buttes and White Shield to increase local involvement in gardening and the production of fresh fruits and vegetables. We plan to recruit additional 4-H members to extend our impact on the reservation, as well as establish formal youth archery clubs in association with the local schools. Our office will also intensify efforts to teach tribal youth how to do beadwork, leathercraft, and other traditional arts/crafts. We will continue to work with the Ft Berthold Diabetes Program to offer the Dining with Diabetes program in other communities in order to improve the health of tribal members on the reservation.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During the past year, the NDSU Extension office has primarily focused on youth programming at Fort Berthold. We have increased the number of youth enrolled in 4-H and worked to improve youth skills and knowledge in different project areas. Seventeen youth from Twin Buttes entered beaded jewellery and leathercraft items into the 2013 North Dakota State Fair, along with other 4-H entries from several White Shield youth. In-school enrichment programming and afterschool 4-H programs also helped youth to learn more about agriculture, gardening, nutrition, and natural resources. Plants were grown in the classroom to improve agricultural literacy and elementary school students learned about soil, wildlife, and related topics to improve their environmental knowledge. Eighty children at the New Town Head Start learned about seeds and plants, and each classroom planted raised beds on school grounds with different garden themes, including a Native American Garden, Butterfly Garden, and Pizza Garden. Kids and their families also had the opportunity to plant Mandan Bride Corn seedlings in a special corn plot established near the Head Start playground with the help of tribal elders. A youth garden is also underway in partnership with the Twin Buttes Boys and Girls Club Garden to encourage healthy lifestyles among the youth there. Garden projects have also been established in White Shield at the Arikara Cultural Center and Nishu Elders Center to improve the health of tribal members and renew their agricultural traditions. Our office partnered with the Ft Berthold Diabetes Program to offer the Dining with Diabetes program during Fall 2013 and spring 2014 to also encourage healthy dietary choices. Our office has been offering instruction in traditional arts and crafts to local youth as well, and provided the opportunity for kids to work with family members to learn how to design/create their own regalia. We also worked with kids from across the reservation at the Boys and Girls Club Junior Culture Camp to teach archery to over 100 kids, thereby further developing their knowledge and skills in different 4-H project areas.
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