Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:?The primary target audience for this grant includes members of the Tohono O'odham Nation (TON). This past year a total of 1,110 people has participated in extension outreach events. There were 381 students and 729 community members. This was an increase over last year, even though the campus was still closed. Most activities took place in open spaces and participants were using masks and keeping with the social distancing. Community members, TOCC students, and staff of the Tohono O'odham Nation's Department of Natural Resources, were our main target audience during the current reporting period. Changes/Problems:The process of implementing a micro-certificate program faces some obstacles due to the novelty of this approach and the complexities of creating transferable credits for an Associate Degree or pathway to a full degree at the university level. We continue working to set up the criteria and methodology to resolve these technical issues. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The development of the micro-credentials promoted the need of a nutrition professional that will be involved in the development of micro-credential curricula and content in the field of traditional food systems and nutrition. A position was opened to hire a Tohono O'odham professional with expertise in this area. Hiring is covered by another NIFA funding source. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The micro-credential plan and projected offers have been disseminatedamong our partners at the Food and Farm Working Group, attendees of our annual Agriculture Day, and community events such as the Tohono O'odham Rodeo and traditional farmers markets. Most of this information has been used to receive feedback and suggestions. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are planning to finalize the full program draft, including syllabi and TOCC college certification support. This includes starting the recruitment of community members for courses and degrees. We will launch the Natural Resources Micro-Certificate Program (NRMCP), and the12-Weeks Micro-Certificate in Tohono O'odham Crop Production (ANR-111N). We will look for more grant funding for the Horseshoeing Micro-Certificate Program.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Currently, we have developed three micro-certification programs related to this grant: 1. Introduction to Horseshoeing Micro-Certificate (ANR-80). Eight full time weeks receiving 3 credits/hour until completion of the course. We've ran this program once, from March 11 to May 3, 2024. The 8-weeks Horseshoeing Training was executed and completed. Each of the seven graduates obtained their certificate of completion and equipment to start business. To provide business startup equipment, we obtained a grant from the Native American Agriculture Foundation (NAAF). The equipment for each graduate consisted of horseshoe tools, farrier equipment to start business (anvil stand, hoof jack, forge), and a long-term membership in the brotherhood of Working Farriers Association to access tutoring and updates. The program was a collaborative effort between the Native American Horse Education Foundation, TOCC's Land Grant Office of Sustainability, TOCC's Operations Division, the TOCC's Workforce program, and the Tohono O'odham Nation's Natural Resources Department. We're developing more grant proposals to support horseshoeing equipment free of charge and farrier association memberships. 2. Natural Resources Micro-Certificate Program (NRMCP). This collaboration is between TOCC, Arizona Conservation Corps (AZCC), and the Tohono O'odham Nation's Department of Natural Resources. Micro-Certificate for "Natural Resources" (NRMCP) consists of one three-credit course and one four-credit course, supported by a six-month hands-on field practicum worth five credits for 12 credit hours. Students in this micro-certificate will experience classroom learning for four hours per day, two days a week. The Field Practicum (lab) component is six months of intensive "hands-on" fieldwork and training. Currently, this program is under review by TOCC's Faculty Senate. The goal is to start in Spring 2025. 3. 12-Weeks Micro-Certificate in Tohono O'odham Crop Production (ANR-111N). This training consists of a 12-credit course, supported by hands-on field practicum in TOCC's Traditional Agriculture Farm. The course will be delivered concurrently over a period of 12 weeks each distributed in three yearly seasons (e.g. Four weeks per season). Following the model from the horseshoeing micro-certificate, we applied for funding to the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) to cover the costs of free of charge materials and tools that will be distributed to student participants. These materials will be supplied to attendants of the training to start local community agriculture. The program will also target youth participants to increase awareness of Tohono O'odham traditional agriculture. This program seeks to improve the lives of tribal members, expanding their knowledge in traditional food systems, nutritional options derived from local agriculture, options in agriculture as a career opportunity and business, promote economic sustainability, and improve the health of tribal members. Currently is under revision of NAAF and TOCC's Faculty Senate, so this program can be included in college's catalogue.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audience for this grant includes members of the Tohono O'odham Nation (TON). Over five hundred people have participated in extension outreach events this past year, including district meetings and our Agriculture Day yearly event. Our five interns were actively participating in these outreach and extension efforts. Three districts were involved in designing, setting up, and building the community garden activities: Hickiwan, Sif Oidak, and San Xavier. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The TOCC extension team participated in the annualFALCON October 2023in Denver, Colorado. In addition, during FALCON 2023, interns presented a poster related to soil and nutrition related to the O'oidag Community Gardens program, receiving active feedback and compliments from attendees. The Community Garden managerJoyce Miguel made an excellent presentationdescribing the program"Sovereign O'oidag (Gardens) for a Sovereign Nation''focused on the revival of the traditional community garden, and detailing the methodology to providing training and materials to start the building and maintenance of traditional farming. The program also offered summer range camps for youth outreach to educate 9-15-year-olds about traditional irrigation land-water dynamics in the Nation's lands. We are also expanding the school gardening program, including social jamborees in the wild food gatherings and weeklong tours of the Student Learning Farm. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been disseminated through the presentations at National and district meetings, as well as through training events in courses and workshops. Some of the material covered in these classes will be available for widespread viewing by members of the Tohono O'odham Nation as part of a series of how-to videos. Newsletters and fliers have also been utilized to spread the importance of the messages. To inform and update communities about O'oidag project developments, we have launched a podcast dedicated to Tohono O'odham culture, agriculture, health, community development, and National sovereignty. Two episodes have been published. In addition, we are expanding our native seed stock by identifying, cataloging, and displaying plants used in traditional remedies, rituals, and foods. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The program will hire a Traditional Food Systems Outreach (TFSO) specialist who will assist and support the O'oidag goals and activities, including nutritional information of traditional crops. Duties include assisting outreach efforts at the Tohono O'odham communities in the areas of traditional food systems from O'oidag community gardens. The TFSO specialist will be able to provide training and advice on traditional foods and will support LGOS efforts to educate community members on the nutritional importance of preserving traditional seeds, crops, and the cultural values linked to food. For TFSO position, the person should be prepared to travel, make presentations, organize workshops, and interact with the community members from various districts of Tohono O'odham Nation. In addition, the program will host events to share videos, how-to-publications and traditional foods during community events held at TOCC. The program plans to produce more additional how-to videos. The topics of these videos will be subject to future refinement, but there appears to be material and interest in videos featuring the following processes: How to set up a simple irrigation system. How to set up a mini hoop house over rows of crops. How to harvest and prepare ciolim (cholla buds); and How to harvest mesquite pods and grind them into a low-glycemic-index flour. Continued development of the (ANR112N) Sustainable Agriculture course will proceed, as will the development of the Agricultural Entrepreneurship certificate. The Sustainable Agriculture course and the certificate are being developed so that both TOCC credit students and non-credit community members can participate and benefit. We plan to publish these results in the upcoming FALCON 2024 in Minneapolis. We are contemplating submitting a publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Develop culturally relevant curricula Objective(s): Educate the community about agriculture, about the Tohono O'odham agricultural heritage, and about nutrition. The ANR 111N course is the keystone course in the curricula design objective, with the course being the first one (semester) and the other courses of the certificate following up. Thirteen people were originally recruited into the course/Beginning Farmers program during spring 2023. The development of the ANR 112N course also meets the goal of developing modules based on incorporating the how-to videos. The two coordinators of the community gardens at each district received training in setting up fenced parcels using compost delivered by the program. Four meetings coordinators for each district were performed, except for San Xavier district where two training sessions were required.
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