Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project was designed toincrease healthy food access and self-sufficiencyin communities across Del Norte County and its Tribal Lands. Efforts are concentrated in four main categories: design and installation of perennial food forests, support and expansion of existing community gardens, community education promoting food security and self-sufficiency, and financial support for expanding school gardens. Smith River, Crescent City, Klamath, and the Upper Yurok Reservation are the four target communities. In Year 5 of this project target audiences were reached in three categories of efforts. 1. Design and installation of perennial food forests: Target audiences included members of all four communities. In Year 5 target audiences were involved bringing their detailed plans for each food forests to fruition as installation continued at each site. In Smith River, target audiences consisted of Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation (TDN) staff; Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program (XELP) parents, students, and staff; Tolowa Dee-ni' tribal citizens; Tribal Council;and Elders, along with Smith River community members. In Crescent City, target audiences included faculty, staff, and students of College of the Redwoods Crescent City Campus; Del Norte High School students from various classes and service learning programs; the Building Healthy Communities Initiative Youth Training Academy students; community volunteers, and student volunteers from surrounding schools. In Klamath, faculty, staff, students and parents of Margaret Keating Elementary were the target audiences of this project. On the Upper Yurok Reservation, Yurok Tribal members and other community members were the target audiences for food forest planning and planting efforts. 2. Support and expansion of existing community gardens: Target audiences included community members where gardens are located--Smith River, Crescent City, and the Upper Yurok Reservation. In Smith River and the Upper Yurok Reservation communities, tribal members and Elders were the main target audiences, however the greater community was encouraged to take part in all garden activities. Garden work days for planting and harvesting, as in previous years, provided experiential education to all participants. Donationof fresh, locally-produced vegetables from these gardens reached the target audiences of Smith River community members, Upper Yurok Reservation community members, Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal Members, Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni'Tribal Elders, the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program, and all garden volunteers.In Year 5 an additional large donation was made to the Pacific Pantry in Crescent City, reaching many community members. These food donationsprovided experiential nutritional education and outreach spreading knowledge of the potential for local production and healthy food access in our region. 3.Community education promoting food security and self-sufficiency: Target audiences included members of each community, with workshops held in three of four target communities. In previous years of the project, community education in the form of work events, workshops, and trainings targeted community members of Smith River, Crescent City, and the Upper Yurok Reservation. These target audiences include Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni' tribal members, Elders, and staff,members of the greater community, and educational events targeted towardTolowa Dee-ni' children and other children attending the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program.Additionally, an Early Childhood Garden Curriculum was developed for the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program and curriculum training for XELP staff was provided. Topics included annual and perennial gardening, beekeeping, canning and preserving, composting, tree planting, permaculture techniques, grafting, and pruning, among others.The most substantial way we reached our target audience in this reporting period in one day was in organizing a Harvest Festival at the site that brought over 200 diverse community members of varying ages, races, and socioeconomic status to the Food Forest. At this event, attendees were able to press apple cider, consume healthful dishes prepared with Food Forest produce, learn how to replicate sustainable production practices in growing their own food, and better understand how they can access the Food Forest to provide fruits and vegetables for their households.Year 5 community events were severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic--see Problems/Changes in approach section below. 4. Financial support for expanding school gardens:The target audience for this effort to support expansion of school gardens in Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands is all children attending a recipient school. This portion of the project did not continue into Year 5 due to not being budgeted in initial project design. Changes/Problems:The end of Year 5 marks the final year for the Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project following a 1-year no-cost extension which allowed us to continue some project activities for an additional year and growing season. Many lessons were learned over the course of this project, however during this final year of wrap-up the biggest problem facing this community-focused project was limitations imposed by COVID-19. The Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation is currently operating under a Tribal Emergency Declaration enacted on March 19, 2020 in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. This has significantly impacted Tribal operations for TDN in 2020. Modified (but continued) operations under this Emergency Declaration for the entirety of Year 5's growing season have included total public closure of all Tribal offices, reduced hours for Tribal staff, cancellation of all public events (until further notice), and strict adherence to social distancing guidelines, and teleworking for project staff. While we have been able to continue planting and maintaining sites for community production, many sites were closed to the public for the Year 5 active growing and harvesting season. Due to the timing of project completion during the COVID-19 emergency,we are working with all of our community partners to ensure that maintenance plans and working partnerships provide for adequate site maintenance in the interim between the end of grant funding and the start of significant harvest. As we look forward into the future, we can use the challenges we have faced to learn from them and continue these projects with successful outcomes. This final year was especially challenging with COVID-19 having forcedcancellation on many events as well as forcing major changes for many of our planned programs; however, we did our best to pivot to keep workingtoward the vital goals and outcomes of this project, even throughout these challenging restrictions. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One of the most significant areas for training and professional development this period was through the Food and Farm Academy and Camp that were carried-out at the Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm' site inJuly and August 2020 (Year 5). Four, 17-year-old youth participated in the four-week Academy, in which in which they followed a youth farm stand curriculum from Michigan State University and learned how to plan, grow, market, and sell fruits and vegetables, as well as how to prepare healthy meals at an outdoor kitchen on site.Academy graduates then transitioned into junior counselor roles for a week-long Food and Farm Camp for nine children ages 7-14.The Academy youth played a substantial role in leading and planning farm camp; and deciding what they wanted to grow, what food to prepare, and what additional activities to incorporate into the Academy. Additionally, a crew of 10 youth enrolled in the Transition Partnership Program (TPP) of the Del Norte Unified School District--which provides comprehensive employment services to youth with challenges, impairments, and/or disabilities--gained job training skills and professional development at Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne Tethl-tvm' food forest for a couple weeks in the summer of 2020. Every year in Smith River, the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) provides job experience for Tribal youth by working with TDN departments and projects throughout the summer, but this year due organizational restrictions due to COVID 19 the Program was cancelled.In past years SYEP worked with the Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project to plant and maintain Smith River's food forest.This partnership gave Tribal youth on-the-job training in sustainable agriculture, as well as site planning and food forest installation.Youth receiving social services from TDN's Community and Family Services Department have also worked as interns for the project, providing on-the-job experiential education.We will continue this program in the future to provide more opportunities to teach youth about sustainable gardening and other topics such as food security and food sovereignty. Each community and community partner involved in this project have beeninstrumental in the planning process for each feature. Planning in each community has been inclusive of all target audiences, and infrastructure installation, ground preparation, planting, and educational events to-date have been as well. As in previous grant years, outreach for the project in Year 5 includes publications in the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation's monthly Newsletter and a monthly gardens and food forests meeting.At the request of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Tribal Council, these monthly meetings were formalized into the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Food and Agriculture Standing Committee.This allows for a more structured meeting and minutes process, as well as for the appointment of committee members and officers.These meetings, provide a forum for interested staff and community members to come and hear about project updates and provide input on how project plans are developing.Additionally, updates on the Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project are a set agenda item at monthly meetings for the Community Food Council for Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands, our main project partner. Multiple presentations on the project have also been made at Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal Council meetings, often well-attended by community members.We have a strong working relationship with our local newspaper, the Del Norte Triplicate, who cover any big project developments or events.Additionally, at least one national online publication and one book have discussed this project and it's goals, effectively spreading our area of dissemination. This project is the first grant-funded food security and sustainable agriculture effort undertaken by the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation.Its impact so far has been more than the sum of its parts--concentrated efforts through this project to increase access to healthy food and increase our communities' food security have led to immense interest in these important areas of community wellness and food security and sovereignty. A major Tribal housing project recently completed, and will be equipped with food production infrastructure and landscaped only with edible or native plant species, many of which will be propagated from and at our food forest sites.This project has become the beginning of a food movement within the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, and the impacts will continue to disseminate into the community for years to come. The most tangible dissemination of project results is the food produced, donated directly to the community. Planning meetings and updates are an excellent way to share information about the food forest component of the project, however for the community gardens component providing the fruits of our community'slabor has been an impactful way to spread awareness for all of the new garden developments. Food has been donated to the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal members, volunteers, Yurok Tribal members, and Elders of both tribes. It has also been made available to garden volunteers and the greater communities housing the gardens. As food forests become productive we will be exploring new ways to use what is grown at the food forest and garden sites to engage the public on the topics of healthy food access and self-sufficiency. Results and successes from this program are also published through the Del Norte and Tribal Lands Community Food Council monthly newsletter, as well as the Facebook page and website. We are also currently in the process of translating a Pacific Pantry participant survey which will be mailed to all users, food program marketing , and food forest site use guidelines and resources into Spanish and Hmong. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Each community and community partner involved in this project have beeninstrumental in the planning process for each feature. Planning in each community has been inclusive of all target audiences, and infrastructure installation, ground preparation, planting, and educational events to-date have been as well. As in previous grant years, outreach for the project in Year 5 includes publications in the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation's monthly Newsletter and a monthly gardens and food forests meeting.At the request of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Tribal Council, these monthly meetings were formalized into the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Food and Agriculture Standing Committee.This allows for a more structured meeting and minutes process, as well as for the appointment of committee members and officers.These meetings, provide a forum for interested staff and community members to come and hear about project updates and provide input on how project plans are developing.Additionally, updates on the Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project are a set agenda item at monthly meetings for the Community Food Council for Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands, our main project partner. Multiple presentations on the project have also been made at Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal Council meetings, often well-attended by community members.We have a strong working relationship with our local newspaper, the Del Norte Triplicate, who cover any big project developments or events.Additionally, at least one national online publication and one book have discussed this project and it's goals, effectively spreading our area of dissemination. This project is the first grant-funded food security and sustainable agriculture effort undertaken by the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation.Its impact so far has been more than the sum of its parts--concentrated efforts through this project to increase access to healthy food and increase our communities' food security have led to immense interest in these important areas of community wellness and food security and sovereignty. A major Tribal housing project recently completed, and will be equipped with food production infrastructure and landscaped only with edible or native plant species, many of which will be propagated from and at our food forest sites.This project has become the beginning of a food movement within the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, and the impacts will continue to disseminate into the community for years to come. The most tangible dissemination of project results is the food produced, donated directly to the community. Planning meetings and updates are an excellent way to share information about the food forest component of the project, however for the community gardens component providing the fruits of our community'slabor has been an impactful way to spread awareness for all of the new garden developments. Food has been donated to the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal members, volunteers, Yurok Tribal members, and Elders of both tribes. It has also been made available to garden volunteers and the greater communities housing the gardens. As food forests become productive we will be exploring new ways to use what is grown at the food forest and garden sites to engage the public on the topics of healthy food access and self-sufficiency. Results and successes from this program are also published through the Del Norte and Tribal Lands Community Food Council monthly newsletter, as well as the Facebook page and website. We are also currently in the process of translating a Pacific Pantry participant survey which will be mailed to all users, food program marketing , and food forest site use guidelines and resources into Spanish and Hmong. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: To increase healthy food access through the installation of four perennial food forests and the creation/expansion of multiple community gardens on tribal lands and throughout Del Norte County. Community Gardens Year 5 has built upon previous years' progress towards this goal with great success. Project staff continued to develop knowledge of each site's growing conditions, focusing heavily on perennial production. Site-specific planting schedules and crop assemblages, continued in Year 5. Community gardens were planted and maintained during Year 5 of this project to produce food for the community. Due to changes in staff and the COVID-19 pandemic during Year 5, most of the community gardens were closed to the public for the active growing season, which influenced the amount of work and time dedicated at each site. Although heavily affected, the community garden in Smith River provided fresh produce to the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, community citizens, and garden volunteers. At the beginning of the pandemic, Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation provided emergency boxes to Tribal Citizens, in which our staff gave out vegetable starts, grafted fruit trees and a distributed a variety of seed packets. TheTaa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm'Food Forest at College of the Redwoods Del Norte, and the Au Minot Food Forest in Klamath have been centers for youth training programs; community gatherings and workshops; sources of food for food-insecure community members; and locations where children and adults can interact with the natural world and learn how to grow and gain access to healthful fruits and vegetables, as well as preserve culturally significant food sources. The self-reliance of Del Norte communities was increased by providing training and resources for participants to create and control their own food supply. Kindergarten through 5thgrade students were led through weekly garden activities at Au Minot (during the school year until schools were closed because of COVID-19), and their families were able to harvest of the fruits and vegetables growing at the sites. The HmongCommunity Garden on D St. in Crescent City was also supported with equipment and guidance. With COVID-19, virtual programming was able to reach a large spread of the community (such as "Live from the Food Forest" events that provided food growing tips, and the Seed to Supper four-week course designed by the Oregon Food Bank that had 12 local participants). Production of fruits and vegetables increased at the established sites, and consumption was especially targeted to Del Norte's food insecure by distribution through the Pacific Pantry, or self-harvesting done by Tribal, Latinx, and White community members.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience: The Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project was designed toincrease healthy food access and self-sufficiencyin communities across Del Norte and its Tribal Lands. Efforts are concentrated in four main categories: design and installation of perennial food forests, support and expansion of existing community gardens, community education promoting food security and self-sufficiency, and financial support for expanding school gardens. Smith River, Crescent City, Klamath, and the Upper Yurok Reservation are the four target communities. In Year 4 of this project target audiences were reached in each category of efforts. 1. Design and installation of perennial food forests: Target audiences included members of all four communities. In Year 4 target audiences were involved bringing their detailed plans for each food forests to fruition as installation continued at each site. In Smith River, target audiences consisted of Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation (TDN) staff; Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program (XELP) parents, students, and staff; Tolowa Dee-ni' tribal citizens; Tribal Council;and Elders, along with Smith River community members. In Crescent City, target audiences included faculty, staff, and students of the College of the Redwoods Crescent City Campus; Del Norte High School students from various classes and service learning programs; the Building Healthy Communities Initiative Youth Training Academy students; community volunteers, and student volunteers from surrounding schools. In Klamath, faculty, staff, students and parents of Margaret Keating Elementary were the target audiences of this project. On the Upper Yurok Reservation, Yurok Tribal members and other community members were the target audiences for food forest planning and planting efforts. 2. Support and expansion of existing community gardens: Target audiences included community members where gardens are located--Smith River, Crescent City, and the Upper Yurok Reservation. In Smith River and the Upper Yurok Reservation communities, tribal members and Elders were the main target audiences, however the greater community was encouraged to take part in all garden activities. Garden work days for planting and harvesting, as in previous years, provided experiential education to all community participants. Donationof fresh, locally-produced vegetables from these gardens reached the target audiences of Smith River community members, Upper Yurok Reservation community members (including the villages of Weitchpec, Pecwan, and Tulley Creek, as well as participants in Tribal ceremonies attended by Tribal members from all over the region), Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal Members, Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni'Tribal Elders, the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program, and all garden volunteers.In Year 4 food from multiple sites was donated to the Pacific Pantry in Crescent City, expanding the target audience to low-income, food-insecure community members. These food donationsprovided experiential nutritional education and outreach, and helped spread knowledge of the potential for local production and healthy food access in our region. 3. Community education promoting food security and self-sufficiency: Target audiences included members of each community, with workshops held in three of four target communities. Community education in the form of work events, workshops, and trainings targeted community members of Smith River, Crescent City, and Klamath. These target audiences include Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni' tribal members, Elders, and staff,members of the greater community, and educational events targeted towardTolowa Dee-ni' children and other children attending the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program.Additionally, an Early Childhood Garden Curriculum was developed for the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program and curriculum training for XELP staff was provided. Topics included annual and perennial gardening, tree planting, permaculture techniques, grafting, and pruning. Based on community feedback during previous years of the project, topics were expanded to also include workshops on traditional food and medicine plants and their uses. These workshops proved very popular and will be continued in Year 5 of the project.In Year 4, a large community celebration at the College of the Redwoods Food Forest and Community Garden Site (Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm') had the highest attendance of all events.This Harvest Festival brought over 200 diverse community members of varying ages, races, and socioeconomic status to the Food Forest. At this event, attendees learned how to press apple cider, consumed healthyl dishes prepared with Food Forest produce, learned how to replicate sustainable production practices in growing their own food, and learned how they can access the Food Forest to provide fruits and vegetables for their households. Ten youth and young adults at-risk participated in the six-week Youth Training Academy Regenerative Agriculture track at the Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm' Food Forest this summer. Moreover, more than 30 individual volunteers and community members have been participating on the site over the last year by attending permaculture club activities, work days, or Food Forest tours. As part of this project, staff hosted a group of Tribal youth from throughout the Pacific Region participating in the Pacific Region Native Youth Food Sovereignty Summit.Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation staff led a tour of the food forest in Smith River to 35 native students from California, Arizona, Mexico, Nevada, and Hawaii.Topics discussed included community food production, project successes and challenges, and how to use community food production to support traditional native food production. 4. Financial support for expanding school gardens: The target audience for this effort to support expansion of school gardens in Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands is all children attending a recipient school. Eight schools received financial and technical support and were located in the target communities of Smith River, Crescent City, Klamath, and the Upper Yurok Reservation. Changes/Problems:The end of Year 4 marks the last year for the Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project but were approved a 1 year no-cost extension that will continue the project through August 31, 2021 in order to continue progress at perennial sites. Over the course of this project, we have experienced several program challenges that have affected the outcome of the project goals. Many of these challenges have been overcome, however we look forward to the opportunity to continue addressing them in this additional, fifth project year. One of our biggest overall program challenges for this project is the time frame for completion. In this project's proposal, it was stated that sites would be planted during the first year of the project, when in reality recruitment for the project coordinator was not complete until the first winter.Replacing sites that were no longer viable and building community partnerships with site managers to ensure every food forest has a permanent home also took over a year.In our rural area building these relationships, especially at our more remote sites, is analogous to building trust and takes time. Perennial food forests are long-term installations and their success relies heavily on initial site analysis and preparation.If we had planted all of our sites in Year 1, as proposed, there would be a high likelihood of failure as observation is the necessary first step to any perennial agriculture project.For example, after Year 2's heavy precipitation load, it was clear that the Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm would require more site preparation to become resilient in the face of high water years. Although completing the required earth work pushed most perennial plantings to Year 4, it ensured that our sites were successful points of production. Many of the native plants that we planted at the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm did not survive their first season, as the fruit tree canopy layer was not established enough to provide required shade.Further native plantings at this site will have to be made, with specific attention to species that can withstand more direct sunlight until canopy cover increases.We have been approved a one year, no-cost extension for this project which will allow for an extra planting season across all of our sites to help offset these time constraints. It was a challenging year due to change in staff, but the sites still managed to thrive and produce a high amount of produce comparted to previous years. These timeline considerations will ultimately affect our sixth goal, that gardens and food forests will be financially self-sustaining by the end of the project period.Much of this goal was based on the food forests and community gardens producing ample harvest to allow for sales of produce and value-added products.However, it is clear that many of these perennial production sites will not be producing significant harvests by the end of the grant period.We are working with all of our community partners to ensure that maintenance plans and working partnerships provide for adequate site maintenance in the interim between the end of grant funding and the start of significant harvest. As we look forward into the future, we can use the challenges we have faced to learn from them and continue these projects with successful outcomes. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Due to the educational nature of our second goal (to increase the self-reliance of our communities by providing training and resources for them to create and control their own food supply), there have been ample opportunities for community training as a result of this project detailed in the response above. One exciting community partnership to emerge from this project is between the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation and the College of the Redwoods Crescent City Campus(CR), where the Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlht-tvm (Crescent City Tree Garden) is located. Building on accomplishments in past years, in Year 4 new classes were offered through CR such as a lecture and lab on permaculture, regenerative agriculture and food forests with Introduction to Environmental Science (ENVSCI10) course. Site managers also partnered with Del Norte High School and teach a Soil Science course atTaa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlht-tvm. This is a huge success for training and professional development opportunities in our area.This site, along with other food forest sites, will exist not only as food-producing areas, but outdoor classrooms for community education surrounding permaculture, orchard management, and self-sufficiency. In Year 4 we continued the garden internship program started through this project and have been able to provide a limited number of monetary stipends to interns helping at our various garden and food forest sites.This has been a huge accomplishment in terms of providing training in food production and sustainable agriculture to interns in each of our target communities, as well as completing tasks necessary to the success of our food forests.Each community has had from one to several extremely engaged, beginning gardener interns who have become proficient in garden planning, planting, and maintenance.Interns have helped with project workshops, including Tribal youth. This has been especially impactful in our tribal communities, where a few dedicated and trained individuals can have a huge ripple effect on their rural area's food security and sovereignty. Throughout this project, we have worked to build partnerships to help utilize project sites and resources to provide training and educational opportunities within our communities.We have created several formal partnerships that have created opportunities for training and professional development for area youths.The Taa- 'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm (Crescent City Tree Garden) was the educational site for the last three years of the Building Healthy Communities Initiative Youth Training Academy sustainable agriculture pathway.The site hosted 10 local youth for an intensive six-week program that taught them about site design, preparation, installation, and maintenance (a new topic, facilitated by the increased maturity of plants at the site).Participants helped with food forest planning, planting, and maintenance at this site, and contributed to the accomplishment of additional infrastructure projects. In Smith River, the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) provides job experience for Tribal youth by working with TDN departments and projects throughout the summer.In Year 4 of this project SYEP worked with the Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project to plant and maintain the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm.This partnership gave Tribal youth on-the-job training in sustainable agriculture, as well as site planning and food forest installation.Youth receiving social services from TDN's Community and Family Services Department have also worked as interns for the project, providing on-the-job experiential education. In Year 4 the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Natural Resources staff had the opportunity to host a group from the Pacific Region Native Youth Food Sovereignty Summit where they lead a site tour of the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm to 35 native youth agriculture students from throughout the region. Topics discussed included community food production, project successes and challenges, and how to use community food production to support traditional native food production, through the lens of Tolowa traditional foods.This was a one-dayevent centered on educating native youth on food security and food sovereignty as well as empowering each individual to consider career opportunities in these areas. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Each community and community partner involved in this project have beeninstrumental in the planning process for each feature. Planning in each community has been inclusive of all target audiences, and infrastructure installation, ground preparation, planting, and educational events to-date have been as well. As in previous grant years, outreach for the project in Year 4 includes publications in the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation's monthly Newsletter and a monthly gardens and food forests meeting.At the request of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Tribal Council, these monthly meetings have been formalized into the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Food and Agriculture Standing Committee.This allows for a more structured meeting and minutes process, as well as for the appointment of committee members and officers.These meetings, as in the past, provide a forum for interested staff and community members to come and hear about project updates and provide input on how project plans are developing.With the new Committee standing, these meetings now also look at other food and agricultural issues facing our community and Tribes, and make formal recommendations and communications with TDN Tribal Council concerning food and agriculture issues that affect Tribal citizens. Additionally, updates on the Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project are a set agenda item at monthly meetings for the Community Food Council for Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands, our main project partner. Multiple presentations on the project have also been made at Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal Council meetings, often well-attended by community members.We have a strong working relationship with our local newspaper, the Del Norte Triplicate, who cover any big project developments or events.Additionally, at least one national online publication and one book have discussed this project and it's goals, effectively spreading our area of dissemination.The project was also presented at multiple conferences in Year 4 including the American Public Health Association Conference and the Food is Good Medicine Conference. This project is the first grant-funded food security and sustainable agriculture effort undertaken by the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation.Its impact so far has been more than the sum of its parts--concentrated efforts through this project to increase access to healthy food and increase our communities' food security have led to immense interest in these important areas of community wellness and food security and sovereignty.Plants propagated at project sites will be planted at a major Tribal, low-income housing project, and this housing project will also be equipped with food production infrastructure and landscaped only with edible or native plant species as a result of community and organizational support created by this USDA project.This project has become the beginning of a food movement within the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, and the impacts will continue to disseminate into the community for years to come. The most tangible dissemination of project results is the food produced, donated directly to the community. Planning meetings and updates are an excellent way to share information about the food forest component of the project, however for the community gardens component providing the fruits of our community'slabor has been an impactful way to spread awareness for all of the new garden developments. Food has been donated to the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal members, volunteers, Yurok Tribal members, and Elders of both tribes. It has also been made available to garden volunteers and the greater communities housing the gardens. As food forests become productive we will be exploring new ways to use what is grown at the food forest and garden sites to engage the public on the topics of healthy food access and self-sufficiency. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?This project was approved for a one-year, no-cost extension in order to allow for the continued planting of food forest sites, continued workshops, and continued community outreach.Year 5 of this project will be the last year, and project staff and participants are working hard to continue site development to set sites up for "success" following the close of the project. Our major goals for the coming reporting period continue to be to continued planting at all four perennial food forests and to develop documents to support each site's regular maintenance schedule for use by participants post-project. Most infrastructure has been installed at all sites, and in the next year we will continue planting trees, shrubs, and native plants over the winter and spring. Staff is planning spring and summer gardens with each individual community, and are currently growing small winter gardens at many of our sites. Years 1 through 4 have resulted in many lessons learned about what growing methods and crops work best at each of our different sites, as well as how to best engage community members in day-to-day maintenance of food features.Year 4 was an extremely productive year for our annual garden sites, and as we continue to develop individual site planting schedules and best practices, we are confident that this productivity will continue. School financial support will not continue in Year 5, as school garden support was only budgeted for four years. However, upon request guidance will be given to individual schools based on their needs and garden experiences in Years 1 through 4. Workshops and educational events will continue in all communities in the coming year. We are currently compiling a list of topics requested by our communities to address. Some topics will be repeated from previous years due to community demand, and many new topics will be introduced based on feedback from the target audiences in all four communities.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: To increase healthy food access through the installation of four perennial food forestsand the creation/expansion of multiple community gardens on tribal lands and throughoutDel Norte County. Community Gardens Year 4 has built upon previous years' progress towards this goal with great success. Project staff continued to develop knowledge of each site's growing conditions, focusing heavily on perennial production.Site-specific planting schedules and crop assemblages, continued in Year 4.Community gardens were planted and maintained during Year 4 of this projectto produce food for the community. Due to changes in staff during year 4, there was lower production at some of our sites compared to previous years, however sites still produced an abundance. At two community gardens in Smith River, harvests provided fresh produce to the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, community citizens, and garden volunteers. Production for Smith River gardens totaled approximately 1100 lbs (winter squash grown in Year 3 will be included in Year 4's report, as they were harvested and tallied in Year 4). In Crescent City, the Taa-at'-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm (Crescent City Tree Garden) serves as the site of a food forest and an integrated annual community garden.Much of the progress at this site is detailed with food forest accomplishments below, but also works towards successful establishment of the community garden at this site.In addition to infrastructure and ground preparation, additional hugelkultur beds were installed in Year 4. The growing space has tripled since year 3 from about 2,500 square feet to about 8,000 square feet.Following three years of intense development, the Taa-at'-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm (Crescent City Tree Garden) finally began to yield considerable harvests, many of which were donated to the Pacific Pantry in Crescent City.New and existing garden beds produced annual crops including (but not limited to) tomatoes, squash, kale, herbs, lettuce, strawberries for the community in Year 4, though production tracking is still being developed for this site due to the high number and variety of users. Gardens on the Upper Yurok Reservation continued to yield considerable produce for area residents.Community gardens produced over 500 lbs, and the school garden at Weitchpec school distributed produce to area residents throughout the summer.Produce from gardens was given to community members and Tribal Elders at the Yurok Tribal Office, and again in Year 4 much of what was produced was delivered to Tribal families and used at summer ceremonies.Two major ceremonial dances in the area--the Brush Dance and the Jump Dance, received produce from area community gardens. Perennial Food Forests Much was accomplished at four perennial food forests in our region.Building on the progress of the past three years (see previous annual progress reports), in Year 4 additional development and perennial plantings occurred at all four sites. Below are individual site reports, moving from north to south. In Smith River, the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Tree Garden) plans were finalized for installation at the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program (XELP), a Tribally-supported Head Start and Early Learning Program (Years 1 and 2).Infrastructure including an 8' elk fence and water access were installed at the site, and initial ground preparation was completed (Year 2).In Year 3, approximately 50 fruit trees were planted to establish the initial canopy layer of the food forest, as well as various other plant layers including native and exotic edible shrubs, vines, and ground cover.Paths were built throughout the site, and a large shed was installed for secure tool and materials storage.In Year 4 additional ground cover species and cover crop seeds were planted, and all plants at the were connected to an above-ground irrigation system.Project staff worked with new XELP staff at the site to train them in a curriculum developed as part of this project to facilitate educational activities in the food forest and community garden.Natural Resource Department staff and volunteers have played a major role in Year 4, helping maintain and manageXaa-wan'-k'wvt Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm. During the summer of Year 4 staff and volunteers planted rows of annual vegetables in between the fruit trees, planted more native plants, mulched the bare ground and connected more irrigation lines. This effort replaced past years' efforts at the Sri'-srwvlh Community Farm, instead concentrating labor and materials at one site to make production more accessible to the community and project staff.Additional paths were built in between the vegetable beds at this site, and improvements were made to the tool and supply shed installed in Year 3 (namely, a ramp constructed by youth community service workers). Plants at this sitethrived this year; however, it has been noted that the canopy will need to mature more before any further understory plantings at the site--some of the native understory layers did not establish well at the current level of canopy cover.Ideally a food forest would be planted over a longer time period, and TDN staff is making arrangements for the sustainability and continued development of this site past the CFP project period. In Crescent City, the Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm (Crescent City Tree Garden; food forest and community garden), has been the site of many accomplishments, but also many challenges.This site is the project's largest food forest (1.4 acres), located at the campus of College of the Redwoods in Crescent City.In year 4 the growing space was tripled, and both perennial and annual plantings were increased.The bioswale developed in Year 3 (see past progress reports) was successfully planted with native, water-loving plants and a total of 60 additional trees were planted throughout the year. Sierra Service Project helped with many different projects such as frames for worm bins, bird houses and ladders for thehugelkultur beds. Planting, maintenance, and production continued at the Saint's Rest Food Forest site in Weitchpec.This site continues to be a community education site for native and non-native residents to learn about perennial production in a challenging growing environment. Goal 2: To increase the self-reliance of our communities by providing training and resources for them to create and control their own food supply. In order to further meet this goal, the project has continued to hold trainings and workshops that increase the community's capacity for self-reliance, food production, and food security.Topics in Year 4 included, basic gardening, seed starting, annual production, perennial production, pruning, grafting, tree planting, using herbs and traditional plants, and kids gardening, among others.We have also hosted several informational garden and food forest work days to teach basic perennial garden planning and planting skills. We are currently compiling a list of repeat and additional topics to include in trainings and workshops for the extension year, and based on community feedback will continue to increase trainings around traditional foods, their identification and processing, and uses. Area school gardens successfully received financial support during Year 4. A total of eight schools were supported during Year 4 of this project, fewer than in past years. Because of our efforts to provide produce harvested at project food foreststo many families in need of emergency food assistance; and host trainings, workshops, and events; fruit and vegetable consumption will have increased among many in our county and surrounding tribal lands, especially low-income households.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project was designed toincrease healthy food access and self-sufficiencyin communities across Del Norte and its Tribal Lands. Efforts are concentrated in four main categories: design and installation of perennial food forests, support and expansion of existing community gardens, community education promoting food security and self-sufficiency, and financial support for expanding school gardens. Smith River, Crescent City, Klamath, and the Upper Yurok Reservation are the four target communities. In Year 3 of this project target audiences were reached in each category of efforts. Design and installation of perennial food forests: Target audiences included members of all four communities. In Year 3 target audiences were involved bringing their detailed plans for each food forests to fruition as installation continued at each site. In Smith River, target audiences consisted of Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation (TDN) staff; Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program (XELP) parents, students, and staff; Tolowa Dee-ni' tribal citizens; Tribal Council;and Elders, along with Smith River community members. In Crescent City, target audiences included faculty, staff, and students of College of the Redwoods Crescent City Campus; Del Norte High School students from various classes and service learning programs; the Building Healthy Communities Initiative Youth Training Academy students; community volunteers, and student volunteers from surrounding schools. In Klamath, faculty, staff, students and parents of Margaret Keating Elementary were the target audiences of this project. On the Upper Yurok Reservation, Yurok Tribal members and other community members were the target audiences for food forest planning and planting efforts. Support and expansion of existing community gardens: Target audiences included community members where gardens are located--Smith River, Crescent City, and the Upper Yurok Reservation. In Smith River and the Upper Yurok Reservation communities, tribal members and Elders were the main target audiences, however the greater community was encouraged to take part in all garden activities. Garden work days for planting and harvesting, as in previous years, provided experiential education to all community participants. Donationof fresh, locally-produced vegetables from these gardens reached the target audiences of Smith River community members, Upper Yurok Reservation community members (including the villages of Weitchpec, Pecwan, and Tulley Creek, as well as participants in Tribal ceremonies attended by Tribal members from all over the region), Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal Members, Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni'Tribal Elders, the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program, and all garden volunteers.In Year 3 an additional large donation was made to the Pacific Pantry in Crescent City, reaching many community members. These food donationsprovided experiential nutritional education and outreach spreading knowledge of the potential for local production and healthy food access in our region. Community education promoting food security and self-sufficiency: Target audiences included members of each community, with workshops held in three of four target communities. Community education in the form of work events, workshops, and trainings targeted community members of Smith River, Crescent City, and the Upper Yurok Reservation. These target audiences include Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni' tribal members, Elders, and staff,members of the greater community, and educational events targeted towardTolowa Dee-ni' children and other children attending the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program.Additionally, an Early Childhood Garden Curriculum was developed for the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program and curriculum training for XELP staff was provided. Topics included annual and perennial gardening, beekeeping, canning and preserving, composting, tree planting, permaculture techniques, grafting, and pruning, among others. Financial support for expanding school gardens: The target audience for this effort to support expansion of school gardens in Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands is all children attending a recipient school. 12 schools and one juvenile detention center received financial and technical support and were located in the target communities of Smith River, Crescent City, Klamath, and the Upper Yurok Reservation. Changes/Problems:The end of Year 3 marks the beginning of the last year for the Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project.Year 2 saw unique challenges, especially due to high precipitation, and in Year 3 we were able to catch up on much of the site work not completed in Year 2.Despite these gains, there still remain greater, overall program challenges that could lead to unexpected outcomes in Year 4 of the project. One of our biggest overall program challenges for this project is the time frame for completion. In this project's proposal, it was stated that sites would be planted during the first year of the project, when in reality recruitment for the project coordinator was not complete until the first winter.Replacing sites that were no longer viable and building community partnerships with site managers to ensure every food forest has a permanent home also took over a year.In our rural area building these relationships, especially at our more remote sites, is analogous to building trust and takes time. Perennial food forests are long-term installations and their success relies heavily on initial site analysis and preparation.If we had planted all of our sites in Year 1, as proposed, there would be a high likelihood of failure as observation is the necessary first step to any perennial agriculture project.For example, after Year 2's heavy precipitation load, it was clear that the Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm would require more site preparation to become resilient in the face of high water years.Completing the required earth work pushed planting back, once again, until the winter of Year 4. Though these points of due diligence have pushed back our timeline, ultimately, they will ensure that our sites become successful points of production instead of wasted planting efforts.Similarly, many of the native plants that we planted at the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm did not survive their first season, as the fruit tree canopy layer was not established enough to provide required shade.Further native plantings at this site will have to be made, with specific attention to species that can withstand more direct sunlight until canopy cover increases.We are currently considering applying for a one year, no-cost extension for this project to allow for an extra planting season across all of our sites to help offset these time constraints. These timeline considerations will ultimately affect our sixth goal, that gardens and food forests will be financially self-sustaining by the end of the project period.Much of this goal was based on the food forests and community gardens producing ample harvest to allow for sales of produce and value-added products.However, it is clear that many of these sites will not be producing by the end of the grant period.We are working with all of our community partners to ensure that maintenance plans and working partnerships provide for adequate site maintenance in the interim between the end of grant funding and the start of significant harvest. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Due to the educational nature of our second goal (to increase the self-reliance of our communities by providing training and resources for them to create and control their own food supply), there have been many opportunities for community training as a result of this project. One community partnership to emerge from this project is between the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation and the College of the Redwoods Crescent City Campus, where the Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlht-tvm (Crescent City Tree Garden) is located. The College is using this opportunity to develop a formal agriculture program--a much-needed technical and professional development field in our rural agricultural area. In Year 3 the first of these agriculture classes were added to the CR curriculum offerings and taught--Ag 21, Plant Propagation and Production. In order to support the class, this project sponsored three local tribal members interested in agriculture to enroll.We also hosted acommunity education series entitled "Food Forest 101" at College of the Redwoods in Year 3, which offered classes on soil science, plant propagation, and food forest plant selection. In Year 3 we continued the garden internship programand have been able to provide monetary stipends to interns helping at our various garden and food forest sites. These internshipsprovide training in food production and sustainable agriculture to interns in each of our target communities, while training community members to do tasks integralto the success of our food forests.Each community has had from one to several extremely engaged, beginning gardener interns who have become proficient in garden planning, planting, and maintenance.This has been especially impactful in our tribal communities, where a few dedicated and trained individuals can have a huge ripple effect on their rural area's food security and sovereignty.In Smith River, we were able to leverage funding from another grant to provide part-time employment to a Garden Technician who helped manage all sites in the area. Throughout this project, we have worked to build partnerships to help utilize project sites and resources to provide training and educational opportunities within our communities, particularly for area youths.The Taa- 'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm (Crescent City Tree Garden) was the educational site for the last two years of the Building Healthy Communities Initiative Youth Training Academy sustainable agriculture pathway.The site hosted 10 local youth for an intensive six-week program that taught them about site design, preparation, and installation.Participants helped with food forest planning at this site, and contributed to the accomplishment of several infrastructure projects.We are currently working to incorporate the food forest into other youth career pathways offered locally, including health care and culinary pathways. In Smith River, the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) provides job experience for Tribal youth by working with TDN departments and projects throughout the summer.In Year 3 of this project SYEP worked with the Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project to plant and maintain Smith River's community gardens and food forest.This partnership gave Tribal youth on-the-job training in sustainable agriculture, as well as site planning and food forest installation.Youth receiving social services from TDN's Community and Family Services Department have also worked as interns for the project, providing on-the-job experiential education. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Each community and community partner involved in this project have beeninstrumental in the planning process for each feature. Planning in each community has been inclusive of all target audiences, and infrastructure installation, ground preparation, planting, and educational events to-date have been as well. As in previous grant years, outreach for the project in Year 3 includes publications in the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation's monthly Newsletter and a monthly gardens and food forests meeting.At the request of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Tribal Council, these monthly meetings have been formalized into the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Food and Agriculture Standing Committee.This allows for a more structured meeting and minutes process, as well as for the appointment of committee members and officers.These meetings, as in the past, provide a forum for interested staff and community members to come and hear about project updates and provide input on how project plans are developing.With the new Committee standing, these meetings now also look at other food and agricultural issues facing our community and Tribes. While monthly meetings still urge public participation, the group can now make formal recommendations and communications with TDN Tribal Council concerning food and agriculture issues that affect Tribal citizens. Additionally, updates on the Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project are a set agenda item at monthly meetings for the Community Food Council for Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands, our main project partner. Multiple presentations on the project have also been made at Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal Council meetings, often well-attended by community members.We have a strong working relationship with our local newspaper, the Del Norte Triplicate, who cover any big project developments or events.Additionally, at least one national online publication and one book have discussed this project and it's goals, effectively spreading our area of dissemination. This project is the first grant-funded food security and sustainable agriculture effort undertaken by the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation.Its impact so far has been more than the sum of its parts--concentrated efforts through this project to increase access to healthy food and increase our communities' food security have led to immense interest in these important areas of community wellness and food security and sovereignty. This project has become the beginning of a food movement within the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, and the impacts will continue to disseminate into the community for years to come. The most tangible dissemination of project results is the food produced, donated directly to the community. Planning meetings and updates are an excellent way to share information about the food forest component of the project, however for the community gardens component providing the fruits of our community'slabor has been an impactful way to spread awareness for all of the new garden developments. Food has been donated to the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal members, volunteers, Yurok Tribal members, and Elders of both tribes. It has also been made available to garden volunteers and the greater communities housing the gardens. As food forests become productive we will be exploring new ways to use what is grown at the food forest and garden sites to engage the public on the topics of healthy food access and self-sufficiency. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our most immediate goal for the coming reporting period continues to be to get all four perennial food forests planted and begin a regular maintenance schedule. Most infrastructure has been installed at all sites, and in Year 4 we will continue planting trees, shrubs, and native plants over the winter and spring. The Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm in Crescent City will be planted with trees and shrubs now that the major drainage work has been completed.Additionally, we will be planning spring and summer gardens with each individual community and are currently growing small winter gardens at many of our sites. Years 1, 2, and 3 have resulted in many lessons learned about what growing methods and crops work best at each of our different sites, as well as how to best engage community members in day-to-day maintenance of food features.Year 3 was an extremely productive year for our annual garden sites, and as we continue to develop individual site planting schedules and best practices, we are confident that this productivity will continue. School financial support will continue for one final award in Year 4, and guidance will be given to each school based on their garden experiences in Years 1 through 3. Workshops and educational events will continue in all communities in Year 4. We are currently compiling a list of topics requested by our communities to address in Year 4 events.Some topics will be repeated from previous years due to community demand, and many new topics will be introduced based on feedback from the target audiences in all four communities.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: To increase healthy food access through the installation of four perennial food forests and the creation/expansion of multiple community gardens on tribal lands and throughout Del Norte County. Community Gardens Year 3 has built upon previous years' progress towards this goal with great success. During Year 2 we experienced major setbacks in annual garden production, mainly due to due to a nearly record-setting year for precipitation. As a result, gardens were planted extremely late and did not produce as much as in Year 1.In Year 3 precipitations was extremely low, and gardens were planted earlier than usual.This timing, combined with more intimate knowledge of each site's growing conditions which has led to the development of site-specific planting schedules and crop assemblages, resulted in greater production at each site in Year 3.Five community gardens were planted and maintained during Year 3 of this projectto produce food for the community. Two community gardens in Smith Riverprovided fresh produce to the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, community citizens, and garden volunteers. Year 3's harvest for Smith River gardens totaled approximately 1100 lbs. In Crescent City, the Taa-at'-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm (Crescent City Tree Garden) isthe site of a food forest and an annual community garden. In addition to infrastructure and ground preparation, additional hugelkultur beds for annual production were installed in Year 3.New and existing beds grewcrops including tomatoes, squash, kale, herbs, lettuce, strawberries in Year 3, though production tracking is still being developed for this site due to the high number and variety of users.A 960 square foot hoop house was also installed at this site, purchased throughanNRCS Tribal Environmental Quality Incentives Program.This hoop house is currently being used for season extension for annual crops, as well as a propagation site for the first College of the Redwoods agriculture course. Gardens on the Upper Yurok Reservation produced produce for area residents, though with setbacks. Year 2's infestation of poison hemlock at the Kenek We'-roy Community Garden at Tulley Creek continued into Year 3 unabated.In order to ensure that this area of theReservation still had a site for Year 3, we provided materials and technical support to supporta community garden at Ko-tep as an alternate growing site, as in Year 2. The garden at Ko-tep tracked production of approximately 500 lbs of produce.While last year most of this produce was delivered directly to Tribal families, in Year 3 almost all produce went to support two major ceremonial dances in the area--the Brush Dance and the Jump Dance.The garden at Saint's Rest was successfully planted, and its infestation of Bermuda grassmanaged through a combination of tilling, hand-pulling, and smothering.Management of this invasive species has become an important component of our plans for this community garden and food forest. Perennial Food Forests Much was accomplished at four perennial food forests in our region. At all sites, manyYear 2 activites had to be postponed due to extreme precipitation.In Year 3, planting occurred at all four sites, though at our largest site (the Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Telth-tvm in Crescent City) most tree planting was pushed back again to winter of Year 4 to allow for some large-scale earth works to address drainage issues.Below are individual site reports, moving from north to south. In Smith River atthe Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Tree Garden), approximately 50 fruit trees were planted to establish the initial canopy layer of the food forest, as well as edible shrubs, vines, and ground cover in Year 3.Paths were built throughout the site, and a large shed was installed for secure tool and materials storage.Additional rounds of ground cover and cover crop seed have been planted, and all plants at the site have been connected to an above-ground irrigation system. Most plants are thriving; however many native plants died because the canopy was not established enough to provide protection.We also worked with XELP staff at the site to train them in a curriculum developed as part of this project to facilitate educational activities in the food forest and community garden. In Crescent City, the Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm (Crescent City Tree Garden), has been the site of many accomplishments, but also many challenges. Coming into Year 3, drainage continued to be a challenge at this site despite mitigation measures employed in Year 2.We contracted with Stillwater Sciences, a local environmental sciences consulting firm, to produce detailed topographic maps of the site in order todesign a more comprehensive drainage plan involving larger-scale earthworking. After additional consultation around project design and permitting with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, webuilta large bioswale, seeded with water-tolerant native grasses.This bioswale will also be planted with native, water-loving plants in Year 4.At submission of this report the first fruit trees have been planted at this site.We have alsoentered into a USDA NRCS Tribal EQIP contract at this site to leverage additional funding for certain conservation measures, including cover crop and a large hoop house that was installed summer 2018. In Klamath, the food forest at Margaret Keating Elementary is growing vigorously, being the first siteplanted in Years 1 and 2.Native species are an important focus in all of our sites, and at Margaret Keating in Year 3 we have successfully procured and planted species traditionally used for food, medicine, and crafting purposes, with plans to plant more in Year 4.We continue to work with staff and administration at this site to provide technical and materials assistance, and to help them incorporate the food forest into their activities. At the Saint's Rest Food Forest and Community Garden in Weitchpec, much has been accomplished towards both food forest and community garden goals. In Year 3 more fruit tree and understory food forest species were planted, and an annual garden provided approximately 300 lbs. of produce to the community.Community support for this site continues to grow every year, which remains the top accomplishment for this rural food forest and garden.The site is integral to the food security mission of the Cultural Fire Management Council, our project partners in that area manage these sites on a daily basis with our support. Goal 2: To increase the self-reliance of our communities by providing training and resources for them to create and control their own food supply. In order to meet this goal, the project has continued to hold trainings and workshops in Year 3 on topics central to self-reliance, food production, and food security. Year 3 topics included beekeeping, basic gardening, seed starting, annual production, perennial production, pruning, grafting, canning, vermicomposting, tree planting, alternate gardening methods, kids gardening, and others.We also hosted several informational garden and food forest work days to teach basic perennial garden planning and planting skills. We are compiling a list of repeat and additional topics to include in trainings and workshops for Year 4. Area school gardens received financial support during Year 3. A total of twelve schools and one juvenile detention center were supported during Year 3 of this project, with gardens ranging from nonexistent to well-established.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project was designed to increase healthy food access and self-sufficiency in communities across Del Norte and its Tribal Lands. Efforts are concentrated in four main categories: design and installation of perennial food forests, support and expansion of existing community gardens, community education promoting food security and self-sufficiency, and financial support for expanding school gardens. Smith River, Crescent City, Klamath, and the Upper Yurok Reservation are the four target communities. In Year 2 of this project target audiences were reached in each category of efforts. 1. Design and installation of perennial food forests: Target audiences included members of all four communities. In Year 2 target audiences were involved detailed planning for food forests, as well as initial steps to their installations. In Smith River, target audiences consisted of Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation (TDN) staff; Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program (XELP) parents, students, and staff; Tolowa Dee-ni' tribal citizens; Tribal Council; and Elders, along with Smith River community members. In Crescent City, target audiences included faculty, staff, and students of College of the Redwoods Crescent City Campus, the Building Healthy Communities Initiative Youth Training Academy students; community volunteers, and student volunteers from surrounding schools. In Klamath, faculty, staff, students and parents of Margaret Keating Elementary were the target audiences of this project. On the Upper Yurok Reservation, Yurok Tribal members and other community members were the target audiences for food forest planning and planting efforts. Ultimately, target audiences for all food forests will be those receiving the harvest, and will include all members of each community. 2. Support and expansion of existing community gardens: Target audiences included community members where gardens are located--Smith River, Crescent City, and the Upper Yurok Reservation. In Smith River and the Upper Yurok Reservation communities, tribal members and Elders were the main target audiences, however the greater community was encouraged to take part in all garden activities. Garden work days for planting and harvesting provided experiential education to all community participants. Donation of fresh, locally-produced vegetables from these gardens reached the target audiences of Smith River community members, Upper Yurok Reservation community members (including the towns of Weitchpec, Pecwan, and Tulley Creek), Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal Members, Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal Elders, the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program, and all garden volunteers. These food donations provided experiential nutritional education and outreach spreading knowledge of the potential for local production and healthy food access in our region. 3. Community education promoting food security and self-sufficiency: Target audiences included members of each community, with workshops held in all four target communities. Community education included work events, workshops, and trainings targeted community members of Smith River, Crescent City, Klamath, and the Upper Yurok Reservation. These target audiences include Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni' tribal members, Elders, and staff, members of the greater community, and many educational events targeted toward Tolowa Dee-ni' children and other children attending the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program. Topics included gardening topics, beekeeping, canning and preserving, irrigation, composting, tree planting, permaculture techniques, grafting, and pruning, among others. 4. Financial support for expanding school gardens: The target audience for this effort to support expansion of school gardens in Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands is all children attending a recipient school. 12 school received financial and technical support and were located in the target communities of Smith River, Crescent City, Klamath, and the Upper Yurok Reservation. Changes/Problems:The end of Year 2 marks the halfway point for the Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project and is a good point to reflect on changes and problems that will potentially affect our outcomes, or cause delays in completion. These can be characterized as external factors specific to Year 2 goals and accomplishments, and greater, overall program challenges that could lead to unexpected outcomes. Year 2 was an extreme precipitation year for our area, which normally has high precipitation levels ranging from 64 to 92 inches throughout the county. The past year has been one of the top 10 wettest on record, with precipitation amounts ranging from 149% to 169% of average throughout the county. The rainy season this year also lasted longer than usual, with rain continuing well into the summer months. This was disastrous for planting our community gardens--ground preparation could not be done on schedule, leading to late planting. In our short summer season, this resulted in few summer crops for all community gardens in our project, however production did pick up in fall (technically Year 3). This also restricted the amount of work that could be completed in perennial food forests--major infrastructure goals for fall of Year 2 including fencing, water supply, and other structures for two of our sites had to be put off until summer of Year 2. As a result, planting plans for fall/winter of Year 2 had to be pushed back to Year 3. Additionally, unusually high levels of runoff at the Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm (Crescent City Tree Garden) highlighted the need for additional ground preparation and earthworks to ensure survival of food forest species planted there, which will require us to delay planting until winter of Year 4. Invasive species were another external factor to affect annual production at two of our sites on the Upper Yurok Reservation. At the Kenek We'-roy garden in Tulley Creek, an infestation of poison hemlock over the winter and spring of Year 2, compounded by heavy rain, made site preparation for summer planting impossible. Though this garden did not produce in Year 2, it was offset by support for another community garden nearby which took over production for this area of the Reservation. At the Saint's Rest Community Garden and Food Forest, an infestation of Bermuda grass over the late summer season of Year 2 slowed production considerably. This infestation is currently being managed through multiple mechanical methods. One of our biggest overall program challenges for this project is the time frame for completion. In this project's proposal, it was stated that sites would be planted during the first year of the project, when in reality recruitment for the project coordinator was not complete until the first winter. Replacing sites that were no longer viable and building community partnerships with site managers to ensure every food forest has a permanent home also took over a year. In our rural area building these relationships, especially at our more remote sites, is analagous to building trust and takes time. Perennial food forests are long-term installations and their success relies heavily on initial site analysis and preparation. If we had planted all of our sites in Year 1, as proposed, there would be a high likelihood of failure as observation is the necessary first step to any perennial agriculture project. For example, after Year 2's heavy precipitation load, it is clear that the Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm will require more site preparation to become resilient in the face of high water years. Completing the required earth work will likely push planting back until the winter of Year 4. Even without the additional site preparation, the earliest this site could have been planted was Year 3. Though these points of due diligence have pushed back our timeline, ultimately, they will ensure that our sites become successful points of production instead of wasted planting efforts. These timeline considerations will ultimately affect our sixth goal, that gardens and food forests will be financially self-sustaining by the end of the project period. Much of this goal was based on the food forests and community gardens producing ample harvest to allow for sales of produce and value-added products. However, it is clear that many of these sites will not be producing by the end of the grant period. We are working with all of our community partners to ensure that maintenance plans and working partnerships provide for adequate site maintenance in the interim between the end of grant funding and the start of significant harvest. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Due to the educational nature of our second goal (to increase the self-reliance of our communities by providing training and resources for them to create and control their own food supply), there have been ample opportunities for community training as a result of this project detailed in the response above. One exciting community partnership to emerge from this project is that between the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation and the College of the Redwoods Crescent City Campus where the Crescent City Food Forest will be located. The college is using this opportunity to develop a formal agriculture program over the next several years--a much-needed technical and professional development field in our rural agricultural area. This site, along with other food forest sites, will exist not only as food-producing areas, but outdoor classrooms for community education surrounding permaculture, orchard management, perennial and annual production and generalself-sufficiency. We have already started planning for a community education series entitled "Food Forest 101," to begin at the start of Year 3, and are working with the college to plan other community education series for Year 3. In Year 2 we also developed a garden internship program through this project and have been able to provide a limited number of monetary stipends to interns helping at our various garden and food forest sites. This has been a huge accomplishment in terms of providing training in food production and sustainable agriculture to interns. Each community has had between one and four extremely engaged, beginning gardener interns who have become proficient in garden planning, planting, and maintenance. This has been especially impactful in our tribal communities, where a few dedicated and trained individuals can have a huge ripple effect on their rural area's food sovereignty. In Year 2 there have been other examples of formal partnerships that have led to training and professional development for area youths. The Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm (Crescent City Tree Garden) was the educational site for this year's Building Healthy Communities Initiative Youth Training Academy sustainable agriculture pathway. The site hosted 10 local youth for an intensive six-week program that taught them about site design, preparation, and installation. Participants helped with food forest planning at this site, and contributed to the accomplishment of several infrastructure projects. In Smith River, the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) provides on-the-job experience for Tribal youth working with TDN departments and projects throughout the summer. In Year 2 of this project SYEP worked with the Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project to plant and maintain Smith River's community gardens and food forest. This partnership gave Tribal youth on-the-job training in sustainable agriculture, as well as in site planning and food forest installation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Each community and community partner involved in this project have been instrumental in the planning process for each feature. Planning in each community has been inclusive of all target audiences, and initial infrastructure installation, ground preparation, and planting events to-date have been as well. As in Year 1, regular outreach for the project in Year 2 includes publications in the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation's monthly Newsletter, periodic project update e-mails, and a monthly gardens and food forests meeting. These meetings provide a forum for interested staff and community members to come and hear about project updates and provide input on how project plans are developing. These meetings have also been instrumental in brainstorming community solutions to problems such as how to reach more volunteers and have led to thoughtful conversations about the region's food systems as a whole. Additionally, updates on the Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project are a set agenda item at monthly meetings for the Community Food Council for Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands, our main project partner. Multiple presentations on the project have also been made at Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal Council meetings, often well-attended by community members. Social media is an important dissemination tool for all project events and achievements, and the project has its own page entitled "Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation Good Food Makes Us All Healthy Project," as well as frequent features on the Community Food Council for Del Norte and Tribal Lands' page. This project is the first grant-funded food security and sustainable agriculture effort undertaken by the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation. Its impact so far has been more than the sum of its parts--concentrated efforts through this project to increase access to healthy food and increase our communities' food security have led to immense interest in these important areas of community wellness and food sovereignty. There is now a formal, standing Food and Agriculture Committee to provide guidance to TDN Tribal Council on matters of food and agriculture in our area. TDN has pursued and secured USDA Local Food Promotion Program funding to explore ways to enter into commercial sustainable agriculture and increase the availability of local food in our area. Future housing development plans all include food production infrastructure. This project has become the beginning of a food movement within the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, and the impacts will continue to disseminate into the community for years to come. We are currently drafting an additional CFP proposal to address some important service gaps in the current grant, which will ensure a robust and sustainable TDN food program into the future. The most tangible dissemination of project results is the food produced, donated directly to the community. Planning meetings and updates are an excellent way to disseminate information about the food forest component of the project, however for the community gardens component providing the fruits of our community's labor has been an impactful way to spread awareness for all of the new garden developments. Food has been donated to the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal members, volunteers, Yurok Tribal members, and Elders of both tribes. It has also been made available to garden volunteers and the greater communities housing the gardens. As food forests become productive we will be exploring new ways to use what is grown at the food forest and garden sites to engage the public on the topics of healthy food access and self-sufficiency. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our most immediate goal for the coming reporting period continues to be to get all four perennial food forests planted and begin a regular maintenance schedule. Due to extreme weather during Year 2, many of our project activities related to this goal remain the same in Year 3. Most infrastructure has been installed and planting is the next step--all sites but one will have trees, shrubs, and culturally-important native plants planted this winter. Our fourth site, the Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm in Crescent City, will likely require an additional season of ground preparation before planting can resume. Additionally, we will be planning spring and summer gardens with each individual community and are currently growing small winter gardens at each site. Years 1 and 2 have resulted in many lessons learned about what growing methods and crops work best at each of our different sites, as well as how to best engage community members in day-to-day maintenance of food features. Year 2 has seen some setbacks in production due to weather, however we expect to grow even more produce in Year 3 with the help of our communities. School financial support will continue yearly for the remainder of the project, and guidance will be given to each school based on their garden experiences in Years 1 and 2. Workshops and educational events will continue in all communities in Year 3. We are currently compiling a list of topics requested by our communities to address in Year 3 events. Some topics will be repeated from previous years due to community demand, and many new topics will be introduced based on feedback from the target audiences in all four communities. ?
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Community Gardens Year 2 has built upon Year 1's progress towards this goal--with some setbacks due to external factors and unexpected developments. Five community gardens were expanded, planted, and maintained during Year 2 of this project to produce food for the community. However, due to a nearly record-setting year for precipitation, gardens were planted extremely late and did not produce as much as in Year 1. At two community gardens in Smith River, some small harvests provided fresh produce to the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, community citizens, and garden volunteers. Most harvest weightfrom this growing season consisted of winter squashes and were not ready by the end of Year 2, so production amounts will be included in the Year 3 progress report. In order to offset fresh produce losses, the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation worked with the Del Norte Gleaning Project to receive weekly donations of produce gleaned from area diversified vegetable farms to the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program. In Crescent City, the Taa-at'-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm (Crescent City Tree Garden) serves as the site of both a large-scale food forest and an integrated annual community garden. Much of the progress at this site is detailed below with food forest accomplishments, but these same accomplishmentsalso works towards successful establishment of the community garden at this site. In addition to infrastructure and ground preparation, multiple annual hugelkultur beds were installed in Year 2, and will be producing substantially by Year 3. Gardens on the Upper Yurok Reservation yielded considerable produce for area residents, though with setbacks. The Kenek We'-roy Community Garden at Tulley Creek experienced an infestation of poison hemlock that made preparation and planting impossible in our short window this year. In order to ensure that this area of the Upper Yurok Reservation still had a production site for Year 2, we provided materials and technical support to ensure a community garden at Ko-tep successfully planted and produced for the community. The garden at Ko-tep tracked production of almost 900 lbs of produce, which was delivered regularly to 12 tribal families with approximately 37 members total. The garden at Saint's Rest was successfully planted, however an infestation of Bermuda grass limited production at this site and a produce estimate is unavailable. Management of this invasive species has become an important component of our plans for this community garden and food forest, and will be eradicated during Year 3 activities. Perennial Food Forests Much was accomplished towards the installation of four perennial food forests in our region. In Year 1, reliable, long-term locations for four perennial food forests in Smith River, Crescent City, Klamath, and the Upper Yurok Reservation were determined after a few initial setbacks with the originally-planned locations. After having our scope change for new sites approved by USDA, Year 2 accomplishments included intensive site planning for each site, as well as different levels of development at each. For all sites, much of Year 2 planting had to be postponed to this winter (Year 3) due to extreme precipitation which pushed back infrastructure installation and ground preparation, and therefore planting. In Smith River, the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Tree Garden) plans were finalized for installation at the Xaa-wan'-k'wvt Early Learning Program (XELP), a Tribally-supported Head Start and Early Learning Program. An 8' elk fence was installed at the site, and water was connected to the site. Initial ground preparation including tilling and multiple rounds of cover cropping are complete. Final plans have been reviewed by XELP staff, parents, and students and the food forest is on track to be planted in winter of Year 3. In Crescent City, the Taa-'at-dvn Chee-ne' Tetlh-tvm (Crescent City Tree Garden; food forest and community garden), has been the site of many accomplishments, but also many challenges. This site is our largest food forest (1.4 acres), located at the campus of College of the Redwoods in Crescent City. Working with the college to develop a partnership was the main goal of Year 1, and in Year 2 we have been able to make considerable physical progress at the site. During breaks in the weather last winter we were able to address some drainage problems at the site through the installation of several French drains, as well as sub-surface weeping tile around the site's perimeter. The entire area was fenced with the help of community volunteers, and a storage structure installed. Other infrastructure installed at this site during Year 2 include a large outdoor classroom, pathways, gates, picnic tables, compost bins, and signage. Ground preparation at this site has included multiple tillings, amendment with organic matter and lime, a subsurface ripping, and multiple rounds of cover crop. Some native species and hedgerow plants have been planted, and multiple annual hugelkultur beds have been built. Drainage has continued to be a challenge at this site, and will require more attention before fruit tree species and berry species can be planted (see more in Challenges section). We have also successfully entered into a USDA NRCS Tribal EQIP contract at this site to leverage additional funding for certain conservation concerns and actions. In Klamath, the food forest at Margaret Keating Elementary has seen the most accomplishments in terms of food forest installation. Since this site already had necessary infrastructure such a fencing, water access, and secure storage, we were able to plant most of the food forest species during winter of Year 2 as weather allowed. This includes over 50 fruit tree varieties including apple, pear, plum, peach, and persimmon, as well as many berry varieties. Native species are an important focus in all of our sites, and at Margaret Keating we have successfully planted many species traditionally used for food, medicine, and crafting purposes. At the Saint's Rest Food Forest and Community Garden in Weitchpec, much has been accomplished towards both food forest and community garden goals. One of the greatest challenges facing this site was irrigation--the location of the site required water to be pumped up a large hill from a small tributary to the Klamath River for storage, then gravity-fed through the site's drip irrigation system. Pumps were repeatedly stolen from the site, leaving no way to pump water and irrigate the garden. In Year 2 volunteers were able to install a hard line from the tributary to the tanks, providing a reliable water source for production. Site plans to incorporate both the community garden and food forest into this space were also finalized, and many of the food forest species planted. Community support for this site has grown considerably in the past year, which is perhaps the greatest Year 2 accomplishment. Goal 2: In order to meet this goal, the project has continued to hold trainings and workshops in Year 2 on topics central to self-reliance, food production, and food security. Topics in Year 2 have included beekeeping, basic gardening, seed starting, annual production, perennial production, pruning, grafting, canning, vermicomposting, tree planting, irrigation, planter box building, kids gardening, season extension, fall gardening and many others. We have also hosted several informational garden and food forest work days to teach basic garden planning and planting skills while accomplishing key food forest tasks. We are currently compiling a list of repeat and additional topics to include in trainings and workshops for Year 3. Area school gardens successfully received financial support during Year 2. A total of twelve schools were supported during Year 2 of this project, with gardens ranging from nonexistent to well-established.
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Progress 09/01/15 to 08/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience:The Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project was designed toincrease healthy food access and self-sufficiencyin communities across Del Norte and its Adjacent Tribal Lands. Efforts are concentrated in four main categories: design and installation of perennial food forests, support and expansion of existing community gardens, community education promoting food security and self-sufficiency, and financial support for expanding school gardens. Smith River, Crescent City, Klamath, and the Upper Yurok Reservation are the four target communities. In Year 1 of this project target audiences were reached in each category of efforts. 1. Design and installation of perennial food forests: Target audiences included members of all four communities. In all four communities, target audiences wereinformed through public meetings, monthly meetings, and planning sessions about permaculture techniques and food forest design in order to help with the food forest planning process for their community. In Smith River, target audiences consisted of Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation staff, citizens, Tribal Council,and Elders, along with Smith River community members. In Crescent City, target audiences mainly included faculty, staff, and students of College of the Redwoods Crescent City Campus. In Klamath, faculty, staff, students and parents of Margaret Keating Elementary were the target audiences of this process. On the Upper Yurok Reservation, Yurok Tribal members and staff were the main target audience for this educational planning process. 2. Support and expansion of existing community gardens: Target audiences included members of Smith River community and the Upper Yurok Reservation, where community gardens are located. In both communities tribal members and Elders were the main target audiences, however the greater community was encouraged to take part in all garden activities. Garden work days for planting and harvesting provided experential education to all participants. Donationof fresh, locally-produced vegetables from these gardens reached the target audiences of Smith River community members, Upper Yurok Reservation community members (including the towns of Weitchpec and Tulley Creek), Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal Members, Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni'Tribal Elders, the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, the Howonquet Early Learning Center, and all garden volunteers. These food donationsprovided experential nutritional education and outreach spreading knowledge of the potential for local production and healthy food access in our region. 3. Community education promoting food security and self-sufficiency: Target audiences included members of each community except Klamath for Year 1. Community education in the form of work events, workshops, and trainings targeted community members of Smith River, Crescent City, and the Upper Yurok Reservation. These target audiences include Yurok and Tolowa Dee-ni' tribal members, Elders, and staff,members of the greater community, and many educational events targeted towardTolowa Dee-ni' children and other children attending the Howonquet Early Learning Program. Topics included gardening, beekeeping, canning, irrigation, and permaculture. 4. Financial support for expanding school gardens: The target audience for this effort to support expansion of school gardens in Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands is all children attending a recipient school. 14 school received these yearly "mini-awards" and were located in the target communities of Smith River, Crescent City, Klamath, and the Upper Yurok Reservation. Changes/Problems:There have been several changes to food forest and garden locations in Year 1 as we have begun implementing the project, however none impact project goals or outcomes. In order to find locations where food forests and community gardens will be optimally beneficial, long-lasting, and supported by the community, we worked with each community to assess their needs and requests. On the Upper Yurok Reservation, our proposal originally included funding for two food forests: an old orchard at Srey-gon, near Pecwan, and a food forest at the existing Saint's Rest Community Garden in Weitchpec. After surveying the state of damage to the Srey-gon orchard we have concluded that rehabilitating this orchard into a food forest is not the most beneficial use of funding. Damage was mainly due to a lack of community presence and lack of routine maintenance that resulted from the isolated location of the orchard in an already isolated area. Many community members do not have the time nor transportation to visit, maintain, and utilize this feature. Community members and Yurok Tribal Council suggested this site be changed to support a newly-established community garden at Tulley Creek (the Kenek 'We-roy Garden) which was already planted, but requires financial support to expand infrastructure and productionover the course of this project. Other sites on the Upper Yurok Reservation remain the same as proposed--the Saint's Rest Community Garden and a future Saint's Rest Community Food Forest at the same site. In Crescent City, the originally-proposed Hmong garden supported by the HANDS community development organization lost its location and was consolidated with another local Hmong garden, Petersen Park, which already receives considerable financial support from the Community Food Council for Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands. This Crescent City community garden was moved to share the location with our newly-located Crescent City food forest at College of the Redwoods Crescent City Campus. This community garden and food forest will receive a permanent home on campus with the benefit of a constant staff and student presence from both the College and adjacent Del NorteHigh School. This site has a high level of support from the community as well as College staff and students--it will be used in the future not only to provide food for the Crescent City community, but also provide an outdoor educational space for permaculture and agricultural training. Due to the size and soil type of the site, planting will take a two-phase installation to be completed in winter 2017 and 2018. In Smith River, a Tolowa Dee-ni' food forest was originally proposed to coincide with development of a Tribal housing community. However, due to largely different time frames for both projects, it was prudent to move the location. Plans for the housing development are not finalized to a point where a permanent location for the food forest could be guaranteed. Following the success of pairing our Crescent City food forest with College of the Redwoods, we sought another educational, institutional host and are now partnering with the Howonquet Early Learning Program to locate the Smith River food forest on campus. This location will provide early childhood educational opportunities around food security, cultural plants and their uses, Tolowa Dee-ni' wee-ya (language), and plant maintenance. Additionally, this site is considerably closer to the Smith River Tribal community than the previously proposed site, allowing for greater community involvement. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Due to the educational nature of our second goal (to increase the self-reliance of our communities by providing training and resources for them to create and control their own food supply), there have been ample opportunities for community training as a result of this project detailed in the response above. One exciting community partnership to emerge from this project is that between the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation and the College of the Redwoods Crescent City Campus where the Crescent City Food Forest will be located. The college is using this opportunity to develop a formal agriculture program over the next several years--a much-needed technical and professional development field in our rural agricultural area. This site, along with other food forest sites, will exist not only as food-producing areas, but outdoor classrooms for community education surrounding permaculture, orchard management, and self-sufficiency. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Each community and community partner involved in this project have beeninstrumental in the planning process for each feature. Planning events have been a forum for disseminating information about increasing our local food security while at the same time soliciting design input and advice from the communities involved. For example, over 50 residents of Smith River came out for a Smith River Food Forest and Garden planning meeting in March to give input on design, planting plans, and uses for the produce at our Smith River sites. Planning in each community has been inclusive of all target audiences, and planting the food forests will be as well. Regular outreach for the project includes publications in the Tolowa Dee-ni' Newsletter, periodic project update e-mails, and a monthly gardens and food forests meeting. These meetings provide a forum for interested staff and community members to come and hear about project updates and provide input on how project plans are developing. These meetings have also been instrumental in brainstorming community solutions to problems such as how to reach more volunteers and have led to thoughtful conversations about the region's food systems as a whole. Additionally, updates on the Srtaa~ Shvm (hii) Mvlh Ghee-saa-ghit-na' Project are a set agenda item at monthly meetings for the Community Food Council for Del Norte and Adjacent Tribal Lands, our main project partner. Multiple presentations on the project have also been made at Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal Council meetings, often well-attended by community members. The most tangible dissemination of project results is the food produced, donated directly to the community. Planning meetings and updates are an excellent way to disseminate information about the food forest component of the project, however for the community gardens component providing the fruits of our community'slabor has been an impactful way to spread awareness for all of the new garden developments. Food has been donated to the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, the Howonquet Early Learning Program, Tolowa Dee-ni' Tribal members, volunteers, Yurok Tribal members, and Elders of both tribes. It has also been made available to garden volunteers and the greater communites housing the gardens. As food forests become productive we will be exploring new ways to use what is grown at the food forest and garden sites to engage the public on the topics of healthy food access and self-sufficiency. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our most immediate goal for the coming reporting period is to get all four perennial food forests planted and begin a regular maintenance schedule. We are well on our way to fulfilling this goal, and one plant order has already been placed. Fencing will be installed this fall, with trees, shrubs, and culturally-important native plants planted this winter. Additionally, we will be planning spring and summer gardens with each individual community and are currently growing small winter gardens at each site. Year 1 resulted in many lessons learned about what growing methods and crops work best as well as how to best engage community members in day-to-day maintenance of food features, and we expect to grow even more produce in Year 2 with more community involvement. Schools will continue to receive financial and technicalsupportfor the remainder of the project. Guidance will be given to each school based on their Year 1 reporting to best allocate financial supportin Year 2. Workshops and educational events will continue in all communities in Year 2. We are currently compiling a list of topics requested by our communities to address in Year 2 events. Topics willinclude pruning, grafting, and other propagation techniques, small-scale irrigation training, seasonal gardening for our area, seasonally-appropriate preserving classes, and classes on processing and using traditional native plants.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: To increase healthy food access through the installation of five perennial food forests and the creation/expansion of multiple community gardens on tribal lands and throughout Del Norte County. Year 1 has been a time of great excitement and progress towards Goal 1. Four community gardens were expanded, planted, and maintained over the first year of this projectto produce food for the community. At two gardens in Smith River, the summer's harvest provided approximately 600 pounds of fresh produce to the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program, community citizens, and garden volunteers. An additional 500 pounds of winter squash was recently harvested from the Sri'-srwvlh Community Garden in Smith River for donation to the Howonquet Senior Nutrition Program and Howonquet Early Learning Program. Gardens on the Upper Yurok Reservation also produced considerable amounts for the remote communities in that area, however we are still working with local volunteers to determine a reliable method for tracking harvest weights. Final, long-term locations for all four of the perennial food forests in the four communities being served by the project (Smith River, Crescent City, Klamath, and the Upper Yurok Reservation) have been determined after a few initial setbacks with the originally-planned locations. Community partners have been made for all four sites and initial planning for each site is complete. Phased planting of sites will beginthis winterand we are currently placing plant orders and installing initial infrastructure such as fencing. All sites have considerable community support and we look forward to moving forward. Locating which sites will work best in the long-term for each community was a major goal for Year 1. These will be long-term food features and we want to be sure they are fully supported and maintained for long after USDA-NIFA funding is done. These considerations, along with community input on their needs and preferences, led us to reallocate support for one potential food forest site on the Upper Yurok Reservation to a newly-established, much-needed community garden in the small community of Tulley Creek. We are in the process of outlining all location changes in a scope change for the project which will be submitted shortly. Goal 2: To increase the self-reliance of our communities by providing training and resources for them to create and control their own food supply. In order to meet this goal, the project has supported and held several trainings and workshops over the course of Year 1 on topics central to self-reliance, food, and wellness. These have included beekeeping, food forest design and structure, container gardening, kids gardening, and preserving. We have also hosted several informational garden work days to teach basic garden planning and planting skills. One such workday in the remote community of Weitchpec taught volunteers how to install, maintain, and troubleshoot their irrigation system. We are currently compiling a list of topics to address in Year 2 trainings that will include propagation techniques, small-scale irrigation training, seasonal gardening for our area, seasonally-appropriate preserving classes, and classes on processing and using traditional native plants. 14 schools were financially supportedin Year 1. Supported schools in our area havegardens ranging from nonexistent to well-established.
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