Recipient Organization
TURTLE MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BOX 340
BELCOURT,ND 58316
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The Turtle Mountain Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) will supportExtension outreach on the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (TMBCI) FederallyRecognized Indian Reservation. The challenges of intense poverty, ill health, and food desert aresignificant at TMBCI. This project will partner with North Dakota State University (NDSU)Extension to train Turtle Mountain Extension staff (Objective 1) so they can then extend trainingand outreach for families (Objective 2) to increase their gardening and food skills, as well as,provide Junior Master Gardener education to elementary-age children (Objective 3). A keycomponent will be to integrate Native food traditions and culture throughout the project's activities.Turtle Mountain community members are at high risk for obesity and diabetes caused in part bypoor diet. At least some of the dietary choices are caused by lack of financial resources which limitfamily access to healthier vegetables, fruit, and lean meats and lead to a diet high in lower coststarch items and processed foods. The project will speak to these needs by working with families toencourage increased gardening (which provides a sub-benefit of exercise) as well as the healthbenefits of garden produce, traditional and contemporary techniques to preserve and process wildgame and fish, how to increase their year-around quality of diet by properly preserving gardenproduce, and preparing healthy food safely for consumption. The project directly meets the FRTEPmission, Land Grant mission, and United States Department of Agriculture Strategic Goal 4:Facilitate Rural Prosperity.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Objective 1: To secure research-based horticultural knowledge for Turtle MountainFRTEP staff via a train-the-trainer series provided in collaboration by the NDSUExtension Horticulturist and NDSU Extension Master Gardener Program as evidenced bytraining completion certificates and demonstration of training skills for the FRTEP staff.Objective 2: Each year, Turtle Mountain FRTEP will provide training and education forthe acquisition of improved horticultural and traditional knowledge for communitymembers residing within the Turtle Mountain Reservation and Rolette County asevidenced by training completion records.Objective 3: Each year, using the Junior Master Gardener curriculum, Turtle MountainFRTEP staff will provide engaging training and education activities to reach elementaryage children at schools throughout the Turtle Mountain Reservation and Rolette Countyas evidenced by training records.
Project Methods
Objective 1 Methods:North Dakota State University (NDSU) will provide a series of train-the-traineractivities for Turtle Mountain FRTEP staff so they become equipped to then, in turn, providetraining for the Turtle Mountain community. As Esther McGinnis states in her letter, she and NDSUenthusiastically support the Turtle Mountain Federally-Recognized Tribes Extension Programeffort and are committed to collaborating on the project to extend research-based horticulturalknowledge to the tribal community.Turtle Mountain is in a unique geographic location in northern North Dakota near the Canadianborder. Isolated from more populated communities, the area is a food desert. Efforts to enhancefood security and sovereignty by growing fresh vegetables and fruits have proved to be difficultbecause of the extreme climate. Belcourt, ND is one of the coldest areas in the nation (routinelyreaching winter lows of -30 to -35 deg. F) and it has an extremely short growing season even byNorth Dakota standards. To enhance the existing diet with nutritious produce, horticultural methods that are adapted forthe extreme climate will be taught to Turtle Mountain FRTEP personnel who will in turn traincommunity members and students. The NDSU "train the trainer" education will include, but notbe limited to, the following season extension topics: (1) very basic high tunnel production, (2)scheduling and starting spring vegetables in a greenhouse for field transplant after the danger ofspring frost has passed; (3) growing vegetable varieties and cultivars that have been researchedto grow and mature before fall frost in North Dakota; (4) scheduling of fall crops of leafyvegetables and root vegetables, and (5) simple home hydroponics.To ensure accomplishment of this and all objectives, the FRTEP project will be evaluated usinga multi-dimensional evaluation plan. Project evaluation will be both formative and summativeand will begin at project outset and last for the duration of the project. This will allow for early,ongoing, and consistent feedback on implementation and effectiveness on its progress towardmeeting goals, objectives, and performance indicators.Formative evaluation will be used to review project activities and provide information to theDirector to assist in determining progress, identifying challenges and improving the project atkey milestones using data-driven decision making.Summative evaluation conducted at the end of each project year will focus on the achievementof goals and objectives and performance indicators for that period. Final summative evaluationat the project's end will focus on total accomplishments relevant to project goals. There arenumerous data points (quantitative and qualitative) that will be collected, analyzed, and reported.All evaluation data collection strategies will consist of quantitative data (e.g., demographics ofparticipants, attendance, and engagement) and qualitative data (e.g., surveys and/or interviews,stakeholder feedback, and observations). In the first six months of the grant, the Director willdevelop the initial content of project assessment vehicles such as surveys, interview questions,pre and post-tests and other measures.Objective 1 Measurements will include: training attendance sheets, training post surveys, andrecords of completion/certification.Objective 2 Methods:The Reservation has a rich array of indigenous foods that many Native people, especially youth,have lost interest in. The tribal community will be reintroduced to woodland Anishinabeindigenous foods, fish, berries, wild meat, etc. Community members will be offered instructionand supplies on research-based gardening activities.Education opportunities will be provided to at least 390 individuals/families (10 per training x 3trainings in Year 1 and 12 trainings each in Years 2-4) in gardening basics, high tunnelproduction, starting spring vegetables in a greenhouse for field transplant, growing varieties thathave been researched to grow and mature before fall frost in ND, scheduling of fall crops,simple home hydroponics, Native American gardening, no-till gardening, container gardening,food safety & nutrition, food preservation, and weed and pest control to developsuccessfulgardens and improve their health choices while creating sustainable food.Another more basic challenge is that many community members have lost touch with theirgardening and farming heritage. To encourage youth, college students, and adults to begin andembrace the culture of gardening, Turtle Mountain FRTEP will train community members in (1)the health benefits of gardening, (2) the rich cultural heritage of heirloom vegetable crops thathave been historically grown in North Dakota, and (3) seed saving for heirloom/Native crops.This project builds upon prior efforts at TMCC to support and encourage gardening as a meansto improve family diets and positively affect the financial resources of low-income families. Theproject provides the means to gain additional benefits from gardens by preserving gardenproduce to increase food stores over winter months. "Farm to Table" cuisine workshops willshow families how to safely harvest produce from the garden and to properly cook it to serve totheir families. Wild game and fish will also be used in these demonstration workshops toaccompany the vegetables taken from the gardens to make traditional indigenous meals.Objective 2 Measurements will include: participant enrollment lists and sign-in sheets,participant informal feedback, results of training surveys, and records of completion.Objective 3 Methods:Research proves that children that garden are more likely to consume the vegetables that theygrow. Turtle Mountain FRTEP believes this is a very important step in re-establishing agardening culture and bolstering an interest in biological sciences in school. FRTEP staff willtrain under NDSU to attain the knowledge and tools to be best prepared to meet the needs ofelementary age children.Through the training, Turtle Mountain children will develop skills in gardening and learn how toeat a healthy diet. They will engage in culturally-appropriate tribal stories and cultural activitiesthat support this learning.Objective 3 Measurements will include: participating class lists, numbers of studentsparticipating in training, participant informal feedback, results of teacher surveys, and records ofproject activities with children.