Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:Challenges from the pandemic continue to linger, as well as uncertainties for basic needs. Food insecurity, health care needs, mental health issues, famillies impacted by covid deaths, job insecurity, housing insecurity. LBHC-Extension goals and objectives were unreachable, we will continue to focus on the major needs, food storage and health related issues. Extension will continue to provide assistance to all the community members in need. We will continue to focus our attension on healthy lifestyles from a culturally and spiritually based Crow Tradition, going back to our Crow Way of Life. As a result of the pandemic the food insecurity is much larger, accessing food remains a challenge for many families and communities. Extension will continue sharing traditional planting and harvesting and consumptions of locally grown foods, and continue to share their Crow traditional way of life. In the midst of the pandemic families came together to assist and deveop their own healing gardens and community gardens to support their families needs.250 elders died due to covid, Every family unit has been impacted by covid deaths, families lost both parents, grandparents, siblings. Some families hit harder then others, some cases oldest sibling trying to step into carring for younger siblings. We are only at the beginning stage of healing our families. In due time community members will begin to walk into the light of goodness and beauty through a healing journey, utilizing crow traditions, culture and spirituality, we will continue to provide and share the traditional knowledge of our way of life. Adapting to changes, as needed is another reason why the relationships and partnerships are so crucial. The funding from NIFA-USDA, the partnerships that provide professional staff and assistance in the services, are necessary players in making this healing process a success. We are greatful for the guidance and support of all our funders and partnerships. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Outdoor Safety and Recreation Training, Bear Aware & Bear Spray Training, Equipment, Hydration, First Aid Kit Training, leave no Trace. 250 participants gained knowledge on Outdoor Safety and Recreation, our goal is to keep our youth safe. Thesetraining and workshops are required to participants in all outdoor activities for the summer. Cultural Healing and Enrichment, Substance Abuse Awareness, Stories and Significance of Historical sites and Crow Way of Life - Shared by Elders, Clan System and Crow Language, Value of gardenibg for economics. Financial Literacy and Monetary responsibility, Entrepreneurship. 600 youth gained knowledge on cultural values, traditions, language, Crow Way of LIfe, Clan System, Crow History and Financial Management. 17 community members are certified in Classic Trauma Healing. Mental Health First Aid training 20 members gained First Aid training. Extension staff gained knowledge on grantwriting and Budgeting. Farmers/Ranchers: 53 participants gained knowledge on Indigenous Food & Agriculture Initiative, Agriculture Subsidies, Risk Management, Rainfall Simulator. Family Healing Gardens- 378participants gained knowledge on garden technique, nutrition, traditional foods and the value of garderning for economics. Home food Preservation. Hands on training and demonstrations on tilling, planting, transplanting, weeding, pruning, watering, harvesting, box gardening, patio gardeninbg. Demonstrations on culturally basderd gardening methods, 3 sisters planting, seed collecting. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Crow reservation is open now however our communities are still limited. We still have covid lingering in the area and still facing deaths related to side affects from the pandemic. LBHC-Extension has to be creative developing facebook sites to reach and distribute information and resources on social media.We are continuing to provide information, classes and distribution of resources on line. News letters, flyers are shared at meetings with small groups as well as by mail out. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?LBHC-Extension: Focus has been on the community food shortage to meet the food insecurity, our communities continue to see families with covid anddeaths still impacting families, we will continue to focus on family and community needs relatedfood storage, health and mental health and trauma faced by famillies who are impacted by deaths still due to covid. Extension will continue to provide information, classes, workshopsand training. Our facebooksite to reach members on social media will continue. These events will entail: Youth Leadership training and education, gardening activities and opportunities for hands on training and demonstrations classes. Extension willto write for Extension- Special Ephasis grantto expand the Youth activity. Farmers/Ranchers outreach education, workshops, seminars and training. Extension will continue to expand partnerships with other Land Grant Institutions on grant activity, we will expand our healing families activity to include Traditional way of life, and traditional foods as well as medicinal plants and planting. We will continue to work with the local school pre-K to 6th grade, planting seeds and transplanting and harvesting, FY-25 we will be expand to include other community elementary schools with in the crow communities. Extension Program activities will increase accessibility to cultural and educational learning to strengthen families and build resilency, and encourage individual and family healthy choices, and healthy relationships. LBHC-garden wind tunnel will increase our growing season, and allow us to expand our services to the community members with produce.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Farmers/Ranchers: On the Crow reservation and the state of Montana the average age of a farmer is 59 years and increasing, meaning we are relying on young and beginning producers to contribute to agriculture in the coming years. On going efforts to address a shortage of farmers/ranchers on the Crow reservation.Extension partners with local and region supporters of Ag, to provide workshops with dinner for interaction and networking, meet and share tips with each other based on their own experience, This is the tool to help our elders build a lagacy and to use their experience and knowledge to help grow, fix and transition their businesses to the young and beginning producers, who are second and third generation farmers in our communities. 69 participants attended workshops, video conferencing, they gained resources and building connections related to farming/ranching. 104 participants, increased awareness of the importance of supporting private business development. LBHC-Extension focused on gardening, our communities are still hot spots and covid is still on the rise with deaths continuing in each community, the need to continue and address the food storage,health and trama needs. 378 families gained knowledge in gardening/nutrition to provide food for their families. Extension staff, interns, students and Apsaalooke Healing Families Project and volunteers provided demonstrations and hands on workshops on basic garden techniquies, families are assisted with garden plots, box gardens, community gardens and family plots. Hands on training in small groups, culturally based gardening methods, 3 sisters planting, companion planting, tilling, planting, transplanting, weeding, watering and harvesting and seed collecting were provided for 1,100participants. Community members increased knowledge on nutrition, traditional foods and the value of gardening for economics and most importantly for providing food for their families. Community members a eating healty and have access to fresh food during a major food storage.
Publications
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Progress 09/15/22 to 09/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:Thepandemic andcontinued uncertainties for basic needs: Food insecurity, health care needs, mental health issues,families impacted by covid deaths. LBHC-Extension goals and objectives were unreachable, we focused on the major needs, food storage and health related issues to provide assistance to all the community members in need. We will continue to focus on healthy lifestyles from a culturally and Spiritually based Crow Tradition, going back to our crow way of life. Historically, Crow communities had their own systems for food generation in place that relied upon traditional knowledge for planting, harvesting and consumption of locally-harvested foods. Their food system provided the backbone of trade and exchange between nations. As a result ofthis pandemic the food insecurity is much larger, accessing food remains a challenge for many families and communities. LBHC-Extension will continue sharing traditional planting and harvesting and consumptions of locally grown foods, and continue to share their Crow traditional way of life. In the midst of Covid-19 families came together to assist and develop their own healing gardens and community gardens to support their families needs. 248elders died due to covid, Every family unit has been impacted by covid deaths, families losting both parent, grandparents, siblings. Some families hit harder then others, some cases oldest sibling trying to step in to look after younger siblings. We are only at the beginning stage of healing our families, community members will begin to walk into thelight of goodness and beauty through a healing journey utilizing crow traditions, culture and spirituality,we will continue to provide and share the traditional knowledge of our way of life. Adapting to changes, as needed is another reason why the relationships andpartnerships are so crucial. The funding from NIF-USDA, the partnerships that provided professional staff and assistancein the services, are necessary players in making this healing process a success. We are greatful for the guidance and support of all. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Farmers/Ranchers: 53 community members participated in the Crow Ranchers & Farmers Workshop. They all gained knowledge on Indiigenous Food & Agriculture Initiative, Agriculture Subsidies, Risk Management, Rainfall Simulator, Native Farm Bill Coalition and Intertribal Agriculture Council w/ all the servies they provide, and information on Farm Services Agencies and how to apply. Farming and ranching through the pandemic and Recovery: Tips and Tools to help you succeed. 46 Participants. Gardening/Healing Gardens: Garden techniqueworkshops on nutrition, traditional foods and the value of gardening for economics. Home Food Preservation and Model Master Food Preserver curriculum. Hands on training and demonstrations ontillings,planting, transplanting,weeding, pruning, watering, harvesting, box gardening, patio gardening. Demonstrations on hands on training culturally based gardening methods, (3 sisters planting) seed collecting, Mental Health First Aid training,Trauma training for community members and tribal programs. 17 Communiuty members gained certification in Classic Trauma Healing .Youth Leadership Development: Cultural Healing and Enrichment, Substance Abuse Awareness, Storiesand Significance of Historical sites and Crow Way of Life-shared by Elders, Clan System and Crow Language, Value of gardening for economics. Financial Literacy and Monetary Responsibility, Entrepreneurshuip. 600 youth gained knowledge on cultural values, traditions, language, Crow Way of Life, Clan system, Crow History and Financial managament. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The crow reservation has opened our communities but are stilllimited. We still have covid in the area and still facing deaths related to covidside affects from the pandemic. LBHC-Extension hasto be creative to develop facebook sites to reach and distribute information and resouces on social media. We are continuing to provide information, classes, and distribution of resources on line. New letters, flyers are shared atmeeting with small groupsas well as by mail out. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?LBHC- Extension: Focus has been on the community food shortageto meet the food insecurity, our communities continue to see families with covid cases and deaths still impacting families, we will continue to focus on family and community needs related to food storage, health needs as well as mental health and trauma faced by families who are impacted by deaths due to covid. LBHC-Eextensionwill provide information, classes, workshops via video conferencing and small family groups meetings. Our facebook site to reach members on social media will continue. These events will entail: Youth Leadership training and education, Gardening activities and opportunities for demonstrations. Farmers and ranchers outreach education, workshops, seminars and training. Extension will continue to expand partnerships with other Land Grant Institutions on grant activity, we will expand our healing families activity to include Traditional way of life, and traditional foods as well as medicinal plants and planting. Working with the local school pre-K to 6th grade, planting seeds and transplanting and harvesting will be expanded to include other community elementary school with in the crow communities. Extension Program activities will increase accessibility to cultural and educational learning to strengthen families and build resilency, and encourage individual and family healthy choices, and healthy relaionships. The wind tunnel will increase our growing season, andallow us to expand our services to the community members.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Farmers/Ranchers: 106participants, increased awareness of the importance of supporting private business development. In the midst of a pandemic families came together to support and meet the needs of the communities on the crow Indian reservation. On the Crow reservation as well as the State of Montana the average age of a farmer is 59 years and increasing, meaning we are relying on young and beginning producers to contribute to agriculture in the coming years. A two day workshop with dinner allowed the participants to network, meet and share tips with each other based on their own experience, this was the tool to help our elders build a legacy and to use their experiences and knowledge to help grow, fix and transition their businessess to the young and beginning producers, who are second and third generation farmers in our communities. 67 participants attended workshops video conferencing, they gained resources on whole farm planning, goal setting, skills assessment, market principles, economic diversification, principles of techniques on risk management. Gardening/Healing gardens: LBHC-Extension focused on gardening, our communities are still hot spots and covid is still on the rise with deaths continuing in each community it was a need to continue and address the food storage and health and trama needs. 375 famlies stepped up to learngardening to provide foodfor their families. Extension staff, Interns, students and Apsaalooke Healing Families Project and volunteers provided demonstrations and hands on workshops on basic garden techniques, families areassisted with garden plots, box gardens, community gardens and family plots. Hands on training in small groups, culturally based gardening methods, 3 sisters planting, companion planting, tillling, planting, transplanting, weeding, watering and harvesting and seed collecting were provided for all participants.1,127. community members increased knowledge on nutrition, traditional foods and the value of gardening for economics and most importantly for providing their families, who are now eating healthy and have access to fresh food during a major food shortage.
Publications
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