Progress 02/01/24 to 01/31/25
Outputs
Target Audience:Blackfeet Community College Meat Processing Project has managed to work closely with local producers, agricultural professionals, agricultural resource managers in the second year. The Land Grant team has been networking, researching and presenting to strengthen project support. Changes/Problems:The Blackfeet Community College had a change in Project Director. Cheryl Madman assumed the role of Project Director. She is currently the Workforce Development Director. The Meat Processing is currently placed under Workforce Development. The BFCC campus infrastructure of a food processing training facility for the local workforce is currently under contruction and should be completed by March/April. The 30ft USDA certified mobile trailer unit has been bought and currently on campus as well as the 3500-diesel pickup truck for pulling purposes. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Goal 3. Blackfeet Community College proposes to train a workforce to support a local market for food distribution programs and grocery stores that advance food sovereignty and nutrition through local food processing. Meetings and workshops have been held to develop partnerships with producers, FAST Blackfeet, PLHI, Tribal Managers, and the Blackfoot Confederacy to demonstrate Blackfeet Tribal Ag Market scenarios through experiential learning and mentorship. BFCC staff, including the Workforce Development Director, Institutional Development team, USDA Extension, and Native Science Field Centers staff, have actively participated in Tribal, State, and National meetings to expand their network and explore potential models for curriculum development.During the spring meetings at Piikani Lodge Healing Institute (PLHI), the local community network, including BFCC staff, came together to announce the arrival date of the mobile processing unit. BFCC staff attended and presented in support of PLHI's efforts in climate-smart production. Additionally, the Meat Processing Developer presented at the Siksikaitsitapi Agriculture Conference 2024 at Red Crow College in Standoff, Alberta, Canada, highlighting the Blackfeet Community College mobile processing unit. Blackfeet Community College staff also attended the Annual Indian Agriculture Conference in Las Vegas, NV, from December 9-13, 2024. The conference featured impactful presentations from across Indian Country, showcasing the work and models implemented on reservations. NIFA MPP Zoom callshave also proven valuable, helping the project staff make connections with other professionals and projects that will support curriculum development and implementation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Goal 4. Blackfeet Community College proposes to hire qualified professional staff and adjunct faculty to develop and provide meat processing skills training and curriculum for students and producers on Piikani lands. The Administrative Assistant was hired on November 16, 2023, and the Meat Processing Developer joined the team on December 18, 2023. The Program Director is currently in the process of hiring one of two adjunct faculty members to teach 3 credits per semester, with a focus on meat processing skills training and curriculum development for students and producers on Piikani lands. Ongoing meetings are being held with our partner, Piikani Lodge Healing Institute, to collaborate on the development of training programs and curriculum for the meat processing initiative. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Goal 5. Incorporate Piikani Traditional Practices in training to develop foundational skills that are applicable to meat processing employment opportunities as well as health and wellness advancement in the community and local market professionals. The newly hired staff will play a key role in implementing this strategy as the curriculum continues to develop, with ongoing advisory support from the team. They will also have the opportunity to build on existing relationships and successful models. Through partnerships with community programs such as FAST Blackfeet and Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife, we will facilitate field harvests that incorporate Piikani Ecological experiential learning and Piikani Language, enhancing the hands-on training experience.?
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal1. Blackfeet Community College proposes to partner with Piikani Lodge Healing Institute (PLHI) to engage students and producers in climate smart production and processing strategies on Piikani Lands. Blackfeet Community College has not yet completed the sub-award to the Piikani Lodge Healing Institute (PLHI) due to delays in the final processing of Climate Smart funds from the USDA. These delays impacted the project's progress. However, PLHI has now received the grant funding, and BFCC is moving forward with finalizing the sub-award. Planning meetings have been held to initiate the involvement of students and producers in adopting climate-smart production and sustainable processing strategies on Piikani lands. Goal 2. Blackfeet Community College proposes to engage Piikani Ecological Knowledge to model resilience and prosperity in development of campus capacity and infrastructure to design food processing training for a local workforce. The mobile processing unit was acquired at the end of July 2024 and will be stationed on campus, making it readily available for use in the field for experiential learning and land health training. Blackfeet Community College has made a significant investment in the infrastructure for the meat processing mobile unit by purchasing a 100x100 metal building, which will house a cut-and-wrap station, classroom space, and freezer units. The building will also include seven offices and meeting areas for both students and the community to use. Throughout this year, the focus has been on research and procurement to ensure the facility is ready for use, with completion anticipated by spring 2025. Additionally, tours of two meat processing facilities in Montana were conducted to help inform the design and structure of the Blackfeet Community College Meat Processing Training building.?
Publications
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Progress 02/01/23 to 01/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:Blackfeet Community College Meat Processing Project has managed to work closely with local producers, agricultural professionals, agricultural resource managers and Blackfoot Conferacy members through the first year. The Land Grant team has been networking, researching and presenting to strengthen project support. Changes/Problems:The Blackfeet Community College, increase investments to campus infrastructure of a food processing training facility for local workforce, by purchasing a 100' x 100' metal building with COVID funds to house, freezer/cooler unit; cut & warp teaching unit; lecture room and office for USDA Meat Inspection. After more research on the purchase of a mobile harvest unit, allocated funds have been re-adjusted from the proposed set-up to a 3500-diesel pickup truck and a 30ft USDA certified mobile trailer unit. On 12/13/2023, the BFCC board approved funds for $79,991.00 for a 3500-diesel pickup truck and $135,300.00 for a mobile harvest unit to conduct field harvest. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?STRATEGIC GOAL 3: Blackfeet Community College proposes to train a workforce to support a local market for food distribution programs and grocery stores that advance food sovereignty and nutrition through local food processing. Evidence: Meetings and workshops to develop partnerships with producers, FAST Blackfeet, PLHI, Tribal Managers, Blackfoot Confederacy to demonstrate Blackfeet Tribal Ag Market scenarios through experiential learning and mentorship. Indian Agriculture Council Regional Conference-August 2-3, 2023- USDA Extension Director, Native Science Field Center Coordinator and Institutional Development Director attended the regional IAC training in Great Falls, MT. The meeting was informational and the team was able to start discussions on the potential of inspection certifications under Workforce Development the team was able to make contacts to support this curriculum development areas. Annual Indian Agriculture Conference December 12-15, 2023 The staff attended the meeting in Las Vegas, NV. Impactful presentations included the PLHI presentation which highlighted the work of the models implemented across the reservation. Two presentations provided contacts for curriculum and facility infrastructure training. Red Crow Community College presented on Agriculture Curriculum which could potentially model curriculum for Blackfeet Community College to adopt and support. Red Crow partners from Edmonton and Elk Island Prairie Reserve were open to partnering with Blackfeet Community College in developing the curriculum at Blackfeet Community College. Follow up will began with newly hired staff. The team also met with Staci Emm Yerington Pauite Tribe University of Nevada, Reno Extension and team to talk through commissioning of the processing truck. The team scheduled an onsite in Reno training session with them to do a walkthrough the University of Nevada, Reno, Extension processing program which will advise USDA Certified specification for processing facilities design and commissioning BFCC. NIFA MPP Zoom calls were helpful in making connections with other projects and professionals that new project staff will be connected with to help with curriculum development and implementation. The encouragement especially on the developing field has been helpful in moving forward. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?STRATEGIC GOAL 3: Blackfeet Community College proposes to train a workforce to support a local market for food distribution programs and grocery stores that advance food sovereignty and nutrition through local food processing. Evidence: Meetings and workshops to develop partnerships with producers, FAST Blackfeet, PLHI, Tribal Managers, Blackfoot Confederacy to demonstrate Blackfeet Tribal Ag Market scenarios through experiential learning and mentorship. Blackfeet Nation Resource Conservation District Meeting- April 25, 2023 The BNRCD did a working session with stakeholders' group to develop a tribal agriculture department framework for the tribe. The meeting was facilitated by the IAC Legal support to develop a position and goals and structure of a tribal agriculture department for the Blackfeet Tribe. Staff was invited to provide input and gain insight on and provide input on fundraising activities for a future department. Piikanii Lodge Healing Institute Spring Meetings-PLHI worked with local community network including BFCC Staff to identify a location for a new tribal meat processing plant. BFCC staff attended and presented in support of procuring a commitment of tribal land to be dedicated to the facility. The Blackfeet Tribe has committed to providing the land for the facility, the team will continue to work with the land department to identify a location that will fit the needs of the facility for facility size, location, and future expansion. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?STRATEGIC GOAL 5: Incorporate Piikani Traditional Practices in training to develop foundational skills that are applicable to meat processing employment opportunities as well as health and wellness advancement in the community and local market professionals. Evidence: Piikani Ecological experiential learning and Piikani Language immersion gatherings, webinars, workshops. The newly hired staff will be implementing this strategy as the curriculum develops. Staff will have advisory support from the team. The staff also has potential to build off prior relationships and models. STRATEGIC GOAL 2: Blackfeet Community College proposes to engage Piikani Ecological Knowledge to model resilience and prosperity in development of campus capacity and infrastructure to design food processing training for a local workforce. Evidence: The purchase of a mobile processing unit to be placed on campus, can be readily available to use in the field for experiential learning and land health training. Development of the building and the procurement of the first phase of the grant life cycle. Spring 2024, all featured facilities and units will that form to site compliance for accessibility and training.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
STRATEGIC GOAL 2: Blackfeet Community College proposes to engage Piikani Ecological Knowledge to model resilience and prosperity in development of campus capacity and infrastructure to design food processing training for a local workforce. Evidence: The purchase of a mobile processing unit to be placed on campus, can be readily available to use in the field for experiential learning and land health training. The Blackfeet Community College, increase investments to campus infrastructure of a food processing training facility for local workforce, by purchasing a 100' x 100' metal building with COVID funds to house, freezer/cooler unit; cut & warp teaching unit; lecture room and office for USDA Meat Inspection. After more research on the purchase of a mobile harvest unit, allocated funds have been re-adjusted from the proposed set-up to a 3500-diesel pickup truck and a 30ft USDA certified mobile trailer unit. On 12/13/2023, the BFCC board approved funds for $79,991.00 for a 3500-diesel pickup truck and $135,300.00 for a mobile harvest unit to conduct field harvest. Collectively the focus has been the STRATEGIC GOAL 4: Blackfeet Community College proposes to hire qualified professional staff and adjunct faculty to develop and provide meat processing skills training and curriculum for students and producers on Piikani lands. Evidence: A Program Director will be hired, with 2 adjunct faculty to teach 3 credits a semester. The staff hiring has been a challenge. The team continued by participation in trainings and meetings available to guide newly hired staff when hired. Workforce Development Director, USDA Extension Director, and Institutional Development Director have been working on the administration roles including processing unit planning and procurement, increased budget processing and grant management. The position was first advertised in from March 31-November 17, 2023. There were no applications for the first round. The Workforce Development Director recruited through the community with consultations but no final commitments. The last advertising round received 2 applications. One applicant screened out of the process and one applicant was recommended for hire with approval by the BFCC board December 13, 2023. The team will now have a Project Developer (Director) to work on curriculum while the physical infrastructure and processing unit are being completed. The new Project Developer is Alicia Yellow Owl the former Native Science Field Centers Coordinator. She has been with BFCC for a number of years and has been filling in on the project in coordinating and communications. She is an asset to the team she has a great amount of agriculture producer relationships she works with the Tribal Producer Meat Processing Team and has been in education for over 20 years. There were staff adjustments made with the additional funding and supplemental funds for administrations duties were paid to the Workforce Development Director and the USDA Extension Director for acquiring additional duties for the grant while completing the hiring of staff. Administrative Assistant was added to the budget with additional funds and was hired DATE Administrative Assistant has been doing a great job in helping the team with procurement. She has extensive knowledge with BIA and Tribal land systems so is an asset to the team.
Publications
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