Progress 09/15/24 to 09/14/25
Outputs
Target Audience:Our Extension Program is dedicated to aligning initiative projects that enhance the use of native plants, non - native plants and wild game foods, thereby promoting community well-being, food sovereignty, and adaptations to climate change. A key focus of our initiatives is the preservation and promotion of Tribal Ecological Knowledge (TEK), which plays a vital role in improving access to native and healthful foods, medicines, and spiritually significant plants for the Blackfeet people. Through this program, we provide students with hands-on learning opportunities in the initial field processing of wild game. For example, during our recent project, the meat harvested was shared equitably among all attendees, allowing individuals to claim specific parts of the animal--such as the tongue, organ meat, tenderloins, tail, hide, and tripe. This practice not only fosters community engagement and education but also underscores the importance of cultural heritage and traditional practices in sustainable food systems. By preserving and promoting TEK, we empower the Blackfeet people to take control of their food sovereignty, contributing to a healthier, more sustainable future for generations to come. Our initiatives not only honor ancestral knowledge but also equip our community with the skills and resources needed to thrive in a changing environment. Changes/Problems:As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance and support our Extension program, we are excited to announce the recruitment of two key positions: Tech Assistant and a Student Internship Coordinator. These roles are crucial for managing our expanding program, particularly as we continue to develop new initiatives and engage with our growing intern student population. The addition of a Tech Assistant will allow us to streamline our operations, enhance our program delivery, and improve engagement with our audience. We anticipate hiring the Student Internship Coordinator by summer, aligning with the peak season of our farming production program. This timing will facilitate a smooth integration of interns into our operations and maximize their learning opportunities What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Montana State University provided a series of class that focused on financial record keeping for farming, which provided essential knowledge for managing agricultural finances effectively. Another professional development was a pesticide training to obtain certification as a pesticide applicator. This training was conducted in partnership with MSU specifically for Blackfeet producers, ensuring our local community is equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge for sustainable agricultural practices. Furthermore, three of our intern students had the opportunity to attend the FALCON program, where they gained valuable experience and insights. Additionally, some students from our Blackfeet Community College participated in the AIHEC conference, allowing them to engage in professional networking that can foster future collaborations and career opportunities. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?This collaborative approach has strengthened our agricultural initiative, allowing us to leverage diverse resources and expertise. By fostering partnerships with Tribal programs, various departments, and educational institutions, we have enhanced our capacity to reach a wider audience and effectively implement projects that resonate with the community's needs. We prioritize transparency and inclusivity in our efforts, ensuring that community members are actively encouraged to participate and provide feedback on our initiatives. This engagement not only reinforces our commitment to food sovereignty and local sustainability but also enriches the educational experiences offered through our programs. As we continue to develop this program, we remain focused on promoting market value-added products to support our local producers while also creating resilient food systems that can adapt to the challenges posed by climate change. Our goal is to cultivate a thriving community that embraces both modern agricultural techniques and time-honored traditions, ultimately leading to improved well-being and sustainability for the Blackfeet Nation. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?To continue advancing our goals, we are focusing on promoting market value-added initiatives that provide high-quality feed for livestock producers while also expanding access to locally grown food sources. We are committed to meeting regularly with our Elders and Knowledge Carriers and partners to integrate their wisdom and experience into our extension program, allowing us to effectively demonstrate Native Science for our community. Additionally, we are dedicated to cultivating crops that are well-suited for our continental climate, which presents unique challenges due to extreme weather conditions. By selecting and growing resilient varieties, we aim to enhance local food production that can be marketed effectively to our community. This strategic approach not only supports food sovereignty but also strengthens our local economy and promotes sustainability within the Blackfeet Nation.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Our agricultural program is dedicated to enhancing farming production through the use of certified weed-free hay, ensuring high-quality feed for local producers. This initiative not only boosts the productivity and sustainability of our agricultural practices but also supports the well-being of our community by increasing access to nutritious food sources. In collaboration with local schools, we have developed a comprehensive program that offers technical assistance and education on the traditional use of native plants and wild game foods. Empowering the next generation to understand and appreciate the significance of native plants/wild game animals in our cultural heritage. Through hands-on experiences, participants foster a deeper connection to their cultural roots and gain a holistic understanding of sustainable food systems. Our agricultural program actively invites local youth and community members to participate in demonstrations and workshops that deliver science-based education on best practices in agriculture, wildlife management, and environmental conservation. These interactive sessions are designed to enhance social skills, develop leadership qualities, and instill pride in our cultural heritage. By engaging with local youth, we aspire to inspire the next generation of community leaders, farmers, and conservationists who will contribute to the long-term sustainability and prosperity of the Blackfeet Nation.
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Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:Communal food forests represent a sustainable approach to addressing food security challenges while revitalizing cultural food practices within the Blackfeet Nation.We are currently working with7 Blackfeet Elders in developing accurate signage on native plants within our forested food and interpretive trail system, we initiated a collaborative effort with Blackfeet elders, Blackfeet Community College students and staff. We have youth from surrounding schools to visit our demonstration growing area to learn about the native berry plants that are not only consumed by Blackfeet people but also used for cultural and healing importance.We are looking to integrate agricultural field day with traditional knowledge and perspectives to enhance community members the understanding and respect of Blackfeet cultures and foods. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?As we continue to move forward with our Meat Poultry Processing grant, we will look at getting our community members the certification to become USDA Meat Inspector or receive a degree/ certificate from BFCC. By increasing educational knowledge of our foods, we hope to establish a food safety program with our meat and vegetable products. We are still waiting for our agriculturalbuilding for completionso we can have a centralize area to train students and community members. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Our Extension program has demonstrated a unique resource for the community of Browning, MT. Wepride ourselves on fostering strong partnerships that showcase innovative agricultural demonstrations. These collaborations not only highlight sustainable practices but also promote community engagement and educational opportunities. As we continue to expand our outreach efforts, our goal is to inspire and empower individuals to embrace sustainable agriculture for the benefit of our community and beyond. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are excited to announce the arrival of our Mobile Meat Processing Unit (MMPU) at Blackfeet Community College. This innovative addition from our MPP grant marks a significant step towards promoting traditional foods of wild game and domesticated livestock. We plan to provide information about our rangeland management and forage crops and how it relates to quality meats. To provide our producers with information and fostering community resilience through sustainable practices. As we embark on this new journey, our goal is to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to embrace and celebrate our rich culinary heritage.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Continue highlighting agricultural program we implemented our forested food demonstration with 5 shrub species for total of 56 plants native to the Blackfeet people. We are in the process of setting up solar irrigation for each row of plants and change the soil profile to meet the plants nutrient up take for quality growth. To provide traditional foods with cultural values we plan to have community members harvest berries for consumption or traditional use. We also setup our soil amendments for our backyard gardeners with topsoil, 4-way soil and soil prep. Now we can teach growers soil amendments ratios, soil type and starter plants. Useful data will be collected for soil weight, garden type, soil mix and irrigation system.
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Progress 09/15/22 to 09/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:In the development of our extension program, USDA student internshelp initiate strategiesthat improve the growing area of BFCC demonstration plot. Our garden plot and greenhouse production areessential in providing effective outreach programs to backyardgardener's, youth and eldersshowinginterest, motivation, to grow food for self-consumption or to learn about what types of foods can we grow here on Blackfeet Nation.We continue to servethe community by adopting the Agricultural Resource Management Plan (ARMP), of the Blackfeet Tribe thatguides our efforts in theprotection ofutilization, conservation and restoration of our Land Grant Campus andAgricultural lands of theBlackfeet Nation forall generations of the Blackfeet people. Changes/Problems:We are in the process of hiring a Technical Assistance to help assist with grow area of our Extension program. This allows us to maintain a productive teaching demonstration forour producers and help drive our agriculturalworkforce program and research opportunities for students. In addition, we are building partners and finishing larger projects that will expand our capacity to serve the Blackfeet communities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Our Extension Program sent two USDA Extension Interns and our GASPA Coordinator to attend the FALCON Conference. This October conference helped us identify opportunities for improvements with student research and extension programs throughout Indian Country. Workshops included potential partnerships with TCU's on other project execution and performance improvements ideas. We also met with NIFA representatives for guidance with Extension acquisitions.BFCC Extension attend the Arbor Day Foundation conference November to plan the construction of Windbreaks and a Forest Food demonstration. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?To have our Extension program develop a strong connection and provide ideal information the is relatable to the Blackfeet people and its communities. We will continue to work with programs, provide education resources for the tribe, and build food program around programs on Blackfeet Nation. We had reached out to programs for partnership, Montana State University; Piiknai Health Lodge Institute; Glacier National Park; Salish Kootenai College; Department of Nature Resource; MT, just to name a few that only strengthen our program. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are fortunate that our campus encompasses 696 acres. To promote good stewardship, we developed rotational grazing on our south campus that breaks into two section for 327 acres. We demonstrated range production for animal units because we want to provide range management for Blackfeet producers and our buffalo program. The 327 acre plot is fenced with electrical fencing with solar panels and two developed earth dams for water development. Our outside classroom demonstrates a learning environment on how the buffalo teaches as a provider, re-seeding of the land and the ecological importance of the land. We have an elder group that share traditional knowledge of native plant species that we planted for consumption and demonstration.We like to introduction nutrient values, soil nutrition, side roll irrigation, basic principles of forage crop production and develop feed for our upcoming buffalo program. Students, adults/elders and Blackfeet producers will have more opportunity to get understanding on how be a successful grower and identify, forage crops, invasive species and resource management.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
As a small-scale fresh fruit and vegetable grower, the BFCC Extension programdonated our harvest directly to the FAST Blackfeet food program thatprovided healthy food for 100+ families.We harvest 11 different cropsfor 942.13lbs and cooked onions, carrots and potatoes for MMIPCommunity Feed Festival. Providing educational workshops and training on how to grow foods might be unusual to the Blackfeet cultural. But we were able to develop a drip irrigation system for our Blackfeet Community College, garden plot by fixing our solar power system for our irrigation well pump. Built program to where the community would access our soil amendments, garden demonstration, compost bins and holistic garden.
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