Progress 09/15/24 to 09/14/25
Outputs
Target Audience:The Spirit Lake Reservation is home to approximately 3,837 residents, the majority of whom are members of the Spirit Lake Tribe. This vibrant and resilient community reflects a powerful blend of traditional knowledge and contemporary experiences, with intergenerational ties shaping everyday life and collective identity. Demographically, the population is strikingly young: over 40% of residents are under the age of 18, positioning youth as a central force in the community's future. There are an estimated 731 families on the reservation, with an average family size of 4.67 individuals, underscoring the importance of extended family networks and kinship systems in daily life. Educational attainment remains a challenge, with only 13.1% of the population holding a bachelor's degree and just 7.6% earning a graduate or professional degree. Economically, the median household income is $29,575, with 26% of the population living below the federal poverty line and an additional 15.8% living below 150% of that threshold. As a target audience, residents of the Spirit Lake Reservation are diverse in age, income, education, and household composition. Many families face persistent barriers related to rural isolation, limited transportation, inadequate access to fresh food, and healthcare inequities. These factors underscore the need for programs that are not only accessible but also tailored to the lived realities of the community. Despite these challenges, the community is deeply engaged in cultural revitalization, youth mentorship, gardening, and initiatives that support food sovereignty and health equity. Language, tradition, and family remain at the heart of daily life. Elders serve as vital knowledge keepers, while young people represent a growing and energetic demographic with the potential to carry forward transformative change. Residents show a strong interest in efforts that emphasize self-reliance, cultural continuity, and land stewardship - such as food preservation classes, traditional foodways education, gardening programs, and holistic wellness activities. Changes/Problems:The program lost our Community Engagement Coordinator at the beginning of 2025, which is a hit to the number of workshops that we have capacity for. This position has been advertized since, however so far we have not been able to hire anyone. In the meantime, the Land Grant Director has had to pick up some of the slack in the interim. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Dr. Julie Garden-Robinson's canning workshop on salsa, jam, and apple butter NRCS Field Day for interns on soil health and rangeland management Presentations and networking at the FALCON Conference Attendance at the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals conference Attendance at the First Americans Land Grant Consortium conference Jessica Fish completed the Cornell Public Health Essentials course Jessica Fish attended a Native American mental health webinar Ann Wadsworth participated in NAE4-HYDP State Relations and North Central Leadership meetings Jessica Fish attended the National Extension and Research Administrative Officer's Conference Jessica Fish and Gabe Nelson led workshops at the NDSU Ag Roundup Jessica Fish and Sarah Smith Warren invited to present at the North Central Region Food Safety Materials Act meeting Krystal Caldwell mentored students preparing for the AIHEC Traditional Plants competition Jessica Fish and Krystal Caldwell joined Spirit Lake Nation Conservation Roundtable meetings How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The program has employed a variety of effective communication methods to ensure widespread dissemination of its results and opportunities. These communication channels have been instrumental in reaching various stakeholders and the broader community. Online Presence: Results and updates have been consistently shared with followers on the CCCC Facebook page and the dedicated CCCC NRM Students/alumni page. These platforms have served as dynamic spaces for keeping the community informed. Annual Report: The CCCC Annual Report, distributed to tribal members via mail, has provided an official channel for showcasing program achievements and impact. Internal Communication: Faculty and staff engagement has been fostered through regular all-staff meetings where updates on the program's progress have been shared. This internal communication ensures that everyone within the college is well informed. Community Engagement Activities: The program's presence has extended to community events, including hosting a float in the Fort Totten Days parade. These on-the-ground activities have bolstered community engagement. Faculty and staff also participate in community groups like the Healthy Communities Coalition, where results are shared and input from other organizations can be gathered. Through this diverse array of communication methods, the program has effectively reached its target audience, ensuring that the community, faculty, staff, and students are well-informed about the program's activities, achievements, and opportunities What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we plan to continue developing educational programs and refining environmental science coursework for the 2025 academic year. We will expand internship opportunities by establishing new sites with local and regional agencies, aiming to involve at leastfive student internsin hands-on agricultural and conservation experiences. Community engagement will be strengthened through a goal of hosting at leastsix monthly farmers marketsand major seasonal events such as Pumpkin Fest in October 2025, which we hope will once again draw over600 participants. We also plan to hostat least 15 cooking and nutrition workshopsand10 culturally relevant gardening or food preservation workshops, building on this year's strong turnout and interest in food security programming. Campus facilities will be maintained and improved with ongoing greenhouse and garden work, including the full operation of the hydroponic greenhouse to support year-round food production. A major focus for 2025 will be improving the CCCC Nature Trail by working with partners to enhance accessibility, preserve ecosystems, and create new teaching and gathering spaces. We aim to host at leastfournature trail-focused events or workdaysto build community ownership and awareness of this unique resource. To promote food security, we will provide garden tilling services in spring 2025, distribute at least150 starter gardening kits, and continue conducting food preservation workshops throughout the year with a goal of engaging at least50 participantsin these sessions. Overall, we will continue to foster community connection, cultural sharing, and pathways for future conservation leaders through these vibrant and hands-on programs.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal: Promoting recruitment and retention of students in natural resources Extension's efforts to promote recruitment and retention of students in natural resources extended beyond hands-on workshops and youth engagement activities. Dr. Caldwell collaborated with the local NRCS representative to build additional internship and career pathways for CCCC students, supplementing the three pathways already in place. This commitment to connecting students with real-world conservation and natural resource roles underscores Extension's role in guiding youth toward careers in sustainability. The 2024 Land Grant Summer Internship program provided practical experiences for high school youth and CCCC students, from maintaining the pumpkin patch and campus gardens to supporting greenhouse work. These internships built practical skills in gardening, nutrition, and land stewardship--an essential first step for future studies or careers in natural resources, including the Natural Resource Management program at CCCC. Though direct enrollment data isn't yet available, the impact of these internships was evident in events like Pumpkin Fest, where interns grew more than 700 pumpkins for distribution to the community, Head Start, Little Dreamers Daycare, and other programs. Additionally, the Natural Resources program celebrated a milestone with three students on track to complete their degrees in spring 2025, including the inaugural White Horse Hill internship student. Extension's involvement in the Spirit Lake Nation Conservation Roundtable also ensured a broader community conversation about land and natural resources - an important avenue for inspiring future environmental leaders. The department was also active in national conversations about land grant and natural resource programming. Jessica Fish and Ann Wadsworth attended the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals conference in Boise, Idaho, and the First Americans Land Grant Consortium conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These events strengthened Extension's reach and connections with other 1994 Tribal Land Grant colleagues, bringing valuable insights back to the community. Goal: Providing culturally-relevant environmental education to students and the greater community Extension consistently prioritized culturally relevant environmental education. The Conservation and Food Sovereignty Outreach Day brought together about 50 participants, including tribal leadership, local organizations, and federal partners, to discuss land stewardship and Dakota food sovereignty--fostering deeper understanding and stronger ties. Youth-focused activities remained central to this mission. 17 4-H meetings (with 218 total children) featured arts and crafts like Halloween-themed projects, as well as STEAM activities that introduced science, engineering, and sustainability concepts. At Prairie View Elementary in November, a 4-H after-school activity engaged 41 students in environmental education through creative, hands-on projects. The Sunday Academy and Native Fresh workshops extended culturally grounded learning into the kitchen. Workshops taught students to make culturally significant foods like Wojapi, Bison tacos, and Lavash pizza, while cooking classes on homemade Mexican and Italian dishes, Cranberry Chicken, Hawaiian Chicken, and more connected nutrition education with food sovereignty principles. Participation across these classes ranged from 7 to 21 per session, blending culinary skills with cultural pride. Extension also led activities that strengthened social connections and community resilience - like Porch Pots and Centerpieces workshops in December, as well as the Earth Day 2025 celebration where students built bird houses and feeders for the campus. Although direct data on mental health outcomes is unavailable, these creative workshops fostered a sense of belonging and well-being among participants. Summer interns further deepened their environmental education by participating in an NRCS Field Day, learning from scientists about soil health assessments and rangeland management practices. Extension's ongoing partnership with NRCS also included plans to revive the Spirit Lake Tribe Conservation Day Camp for August 2026. Goal: Having quality campus facilities Extension maintained and enhanced campus facilities as hands-on learning spaces and community hubs. The greenhouses and community garden were integral to programming throughout the year - providing fresh produce for events and serving as a visible testament to student work. In addition to growing over 700 pumpkins for community distribution, the greenhouses also supported seed-starting efforts that provided tomato and pepper seedlings to more than 100 families for home gardens. Efforts to keep these spaces functional and welcoming included winterizing the community garden, adding compost to improve soil health (a practice last done five years ago), and planning with NDSU Extension for ongoing improvements. Soil samples were collected and analyzed to determine needed amendments, reinforcing the commitment to land stewardship and soil health. The CCCC Nature Trail was also a focus of campus improvement. Extension applied to the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance service for strategic planning, aiming to make the trail more accessible and culturally meaningful. While this assistance does not include direct funding, it will help identify resources and ensure the trail's long-term sustainability and inclusivity. Goal: Addressing health disparities by enhancing food security in the community Food security and nutrition education were consistent themes throughout Extension's work. Farmers Markets held in August, September, and October engaged 75 to 115 attendees per event and included outside vendors, highlighting the role of local food systems in addressing food insecurity. Cooking and nutrition workshops reached over 350 community members, teaching them basic cooking skills and how to use fresh, local ingredients. These included classes on Mexican, Italian, and culturally relevant dishes, as well as special events like healthy charcuterie boards. Food preservation workshops, with sessions on Juneberry Jelly, Apple Jelly, Chokecherry Jelly, and apple butter, taught safe methods for extending seasonal produce. Extension's role in addressing food sovereignty extended beyond teaching. The Food Safety Outreach Program's Technical Assistance website - presented at the FALCON conference and the North Central Region Food Safety Materials Act meeting - provided practical, culturally grounded resources for reading FSOP proposals and managing grants. This tool will support local producers and community members long term. Finally, the summer interns' work in growing and distributing pumpkins, as well as planning for the upcoming tilling season and seed orders, further underscored Extension's commitment to local food sovereignty and community wellness.
Publications
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Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary audience of CCCC Extension is Native American residents of the Spirit Lake Tribe, which is in a Promise Zone. The Promise Zone, designated by the federal government, indicates that this is an area with a high need for programs such as those provided by this project. Specific groups within the Spirit Lake community to be targeted by the project are Tribal Elders, those living in poverty, CCCC students, and Tribal youth. The programs offered by Extension are cohesive and interrelated. The tilling, community garden, and garden starter kits help those in need to produce their own food. The education programs teach community members how to manage those gardens and then how to create healthy and inexpensive meals from the foods they produce. Children become interested in smallscale agriculture and can begin to invest in their futures by learning these skills. Each of the groups involved will have increased food security. A farmers market and craft show further reinforces growing one's own food, selling or trading it, and a sense of agricultural community. Cultural and general crafting classes teach skills and activities that community members might sell at the farmers market or other venues. A reduction in stress leads to community members who feel better, who are better able to participate in activities with Extension, their families, and their community. The student workers hired by the program also benefit because they gain skills in planting, driving a tractor, using a greenhouse, and landscaping as well as potential for leadership and training future Extension staff. They learn about creating and participating in culturally-based workshops, how to teach traditional crafts and more. Current students who work with the program are interested in starting their own farms or greenhouses, pursuing advanced degrees in natural resources/agriculture, or in creating and selling their own traditional items. Changes/Problems:We encountered several challenges during the project. Staff changes included the departure of Paige Grunder, which we addressed by hiring two new positions in May 2023: Community Agriculture Coordinator and Community Engagement Coordinator. Heavy rainfall in May and June 2023 hindered garden tilling, which we managed by rescheduling tasks and prioritizing key areas. The Natural Resources program review conducted in June 2023 led to adjustments such as revising course rotations and developing new coursework. Funding challenges arose with the end of the CYFAR 4-H grant, but we leveraged other grant funds and sought new funding sources, including applying for a grant from the First Nations Development Institute in July 2023. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided numerous opportunities for training and professional development. Staff attended several key conferences and workshops in 2023, including the NAE4-HYDP State Relations meeting in February, the USDA One meeting in March, and the North Central Region Food Safety Modernization Act regional conference in April. Krystal Caldwell completed Labster training in June 2023 to enhance lab experiences for students. Seven student interns received agricultural equipment training in May 2023 and participated in hands-on projects such as greenhouse and garden management throughout the summer. Food preservation training was provided to staff, with Moriah and Gabe attending a workshop at NDSU in August 2023. Ann Wadsworth engaged in 4-H programming professional development by participating in the CYFAR coach meeting in January 2023 and the NAE4-HYDP State Relations zoom meeting in April 2023. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The program has employed a variety of effective communication methods to ensure widespread dissemination of its results and opportunities. These communication channels have been instrumental in reaching various stakeholders and the broader community. Online Presence: Results and updates have been consistently shared with followers on the CCCC Facebook page and the dedicated CCCC NRM Students/alumni page. These platforms have served as dynamic spaces for keeping the community informed. Annual Report: The CCCC Annual Report, distributed to tribal members via mail, has provided an official channel for showcasing program achievements and impact. Internal Communication: Faculty and staff engagement has been fostered through regular all-staff meetings where updates on the program's progress have been shared. This internal communication ensures that everyone within the college is wellinformed. Community Engagement Activities: The program's presence has extended to community events, including hosting a float in the Fort Totten Days parade. These on-the-ground activities have bolstered community engagement. Faculty and staff also participate in community groups like the Healthy Communities Coalition, where results are shared and input from other organizations can be gathered. Through this diverse array of communication methods, the program has effectively reached its target audience, ensuring that the community, faculty, staff, and students are well-informed about the program's activities, achievements, and opportunities What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, we plan to continue developing educational programs, further refining environmental science coursework for the spring 2024 semester, and planning additional 4-H workshops and community events throughout 2024. We aim to expand internship opportunities by establishing new sites with local and regional agencies in 2024. Community engagement will be enhanced through events such as Pumpkin Fest in October 2023, monthly farmers markets, and seasonal craft workshops. We will maintain campus facilities by continuing greenhouse and garden maintenance throughout 2024 and completing the hydroponic greenhouse setup by December 2023. To promote food security, we will provide garden tilling services in spring 2024, distribute additional starter gardening kits in April 2024, and continue conducting food preservation workshops throughout 2024.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In August 2024, Krystal Caldwell was hired as a full-time Natural Resources Instructor. Krystal has spent a large portion of her career working in area high schools and has provided invaluable help with connecting with high school students. In addition, Krystal is an enrolled member of the Spirit Lake Tribe and has helped Extension programming include more culturally relevant elements. The Extension program also saw the departure of Paige Grunder, who has worked on extension programming for almost 10 years, starting as a student intern and then transitioning to the Community Agriculture Coordinator. Thanks to her hard work, when she departed, the department decided to expand to include both a new Community Ag. Coordinator and a new position - the Community Engagement Coordinator. The new Community Engagement Coordinator, Moriah Thompson, spends 50% of her time working on Extension programming and is responsible for expanding our workshop offerings and finding new ways to connect with and serve the community. Continuing in 2024, the CCCC Extension Internship program hired four students to assist with summer Extension programming. This year, interns have helped with even more programs. Students have assisted with workshops on topics from stress buster crafts, to history and culture, to nutrition and food preservation. The interns are also (under the supervision of the Community Ag. Coordinator and the Community Garden Manger) responsible for planting and maintenance of the pumpkin patch and Extension gardens. These gardens included planting, maintaining, and harvesting 96 potato hills, 30 tomato plants, 44 pepper plants, 200 hills of pumpkins, plus onions, garlic, herbs, and other vegetables. What is grown in the Extension garden is used for food preservation, sold at low cost at the Farmers Markets, and/or given to elders interested in fresh fruits and vegetables. Interns also assisted with the tilling program, which tilled Almost 60 gardens for 50 families on the reservation. To do this, interns go through training on the program's tractor and tillers, and then travel to each home to do the work. Students also CCCC hosted six gardening workshops covering a range of gardening basics for those interested in growing a home vegetable garden. The community garden has drawn 12 families, each with their own plot. CCCC Community Garden Manager (and newly minted NDSU Master Gardener) Gabe Nelson is available at the gardens six days a week for gardeners who have questions or need assistance with issues. The Extension team also continues to maintain and improve on the school's campus. In 2024, the program has added seating areas to allow staff and visitors to enjoy the outdoor spaces, and maintaining the nature trails adjacent to the campus. In Spring 2024, in partnership with the NRCS, CCCC received more than 60 sweetgrass plants, plus six white sage plants. These have been planted in a few appropriate areas along sloughs, as well as some in pots. The program aims to use these plants to start enough plants to supply the culturally important plant to residents of the reservation, either through dried cuttings or live plants which can be transplanted around the reservation. This program is in very early days, but allows student interns to learn about how to grow and harvest in culturally appropriate ways. Regarding the goal of maintaining quality campus facilities, ongoing maintenance of campus greenhouses and gardens was a priority. Key tasks included seed starting in February, transplanting seedlings in April, and winter preparation in October. Community gardens were maintained year-round, with a major planting event in May 2023. A mouse-resistant storage container was set up at the community garden in June 2023, and progress on the hydroponic greenhouse was made throughout spring and summer 2023, with expected completion by December 2023. To address health disparities by enhancing food security in the community, garden tilling services were provided to over 50 community members in spring 2023, despite heavy rainfall in May and June. Starter gardening kits, including seeds and seedlings, were distributed to 100 individuals in April 2023. Monthly nutrition workshops covered topics such as salsa making in July, preserving summer fruits in August, and winter squash recipes in October, attracting 15-20 participants each. A food preservation initiative in September 2023 involved 20 participants in learning about pressure canning and food safety.
Publications
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Progress 09/15/22 to 09/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary audience of CCCC Extension is Native American residents of the Spirit Lake Tribe, which is in a Promise Zone. The Promise Zone, designated by the federal government, indicates that this is an area with a high need for programs such as those provided by this project. Specific groups within the Spirit Lake community to be targeted by the project are Tribal Elders, those living in poverty, CCCC students, and Tribal youth. The programs offered by Extension are cohesive and interrelated. The tilling, community garden, and garden starter kits help those in need to produce their own food. The education programs teach community members how to manage those gardens and then how to create healthy and inexpensive meals from the foods they produce. Children become interested in small-scale agriculture and can begin to invest in their futures by learning these skills. Each of the groups involved will have increased food security. A farmers market and craft show further reinforces growing one's own food, selling or trading it, and a sense of agricultural community. Cultural and general crafting classes teach skills and activities that community members might sell at the farmers market or other venues. A reduction in stress leads to community members who feel better, who are better able to participate in activities with Extension, their families, and their community. The student workers hired by the program also benefit because they gain skills in planting, driving a tractor, using a greenhouse, and landscaping as well as potential for leadership and training future Extension staff. They learn about creating and participating in culturally-based workshops, how to teach traditional crafts and more. Current students who work with the program are interested in starting their own farms or greenhouses, pursuing advanced degrees in natural resources/agriculture, or in creating and selling their own traditional items. Changes/Problems:The Land Grant Director left her position with the department at the end of 2022, which left the department a full person short for the duties it needed to do. As such, we were not as productive as we wanted in certain areas, though we did everything we could. Thankfully, we are moving forward with adding a new position to the department to help us stay on track for future years. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Gabe Nelson, our Community Garden Manager, earned her Master Gardener certification. We also attended several food and nutrition workshops put on by the NCR FSMA Center, the Food Safety Outreach Program, workshops on art therapy from a variety of sources, and continually looking to the tribal elders to learn more about the cultural connections to our activities and goals. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We use social media to keep the community up to date on both what we have coming up and also the events that we have put on. Additionally, we provide reports to the Healthy Community Coalition and the CCCC Board of Regents. Both of these groups disseminate the information through their many community connections. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will be welcoming and training two new employees in the Land Grant Extension. One will focus on community agriculture and the other will focus on community events. The Community Agriculture Coordinator will head our initiatives related to growing food soverignty, including the campus greenhouses, community tilling program, seeds and seedlings, campus upkeep initiatives, and anything related to growing or foraging food. The Community Engagement Coordinator will focus on our cultural and community workshops, and will lead our food preservation program. Previously, one person was in charge of all of those duties, and she will be leaving the department at the beginning of the year. With an additional person in the department and deliniation of duties, I hope to improve the regularity with our workshops and also expand our food growing efforts for the community.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Promoting recruitment and retention of students in Natural Resources This was a very successful year for us in the recruitment and retention department - thanks to our summer internship, our program gained three new students. Two of our interns entered the program themselves, and one of those recruited their boyfriend to join as well. One of the two interns has changed her course to get degrees in both Art and Natural Resources, and I sincerely hope she considers botanical illustration, her art is lovely. Providing culturally-relevant environmental education to students and the greater community We have participated in several events with the children here on the reservation. One of our most popular activities involves poking through much and water (collected from the lake) to find out what kinds of bugs are there. From that, the kids can estimate how polluted or not the water is. We were able to do this activity with several different groups, including our 4-H camp and a field trip for the summer school students of one of our elementary schools. In all, we were able to hold more than 20 workshops this year, ranging from seed saving and community gardening workshops to festive centerpiece making to nutrition workshops. We had great success with an impromptu drop-in nutrition workshop for National Popcorn Day. We set up a hallway of nutritional facts about popcorn, with fresh popcorn at the end. When participants got their popcorn, they also received a recipe sheet with some healthy popcorn seasoning options, as well as bullet points on the nutritional value of popcorn. Rather than a structured event, we set this up so that participants could stop by at any point during the day, which allowed so many more people to attend. That single event attracted more than 150 people, including staff, faculty, students and community members. Another hugely successful event this year was our Pumpkin Fest celebration. This community event included carnival games, inflatables, cultural facts, pumpkins, and a large space for the community to gather and enjoy themselves. We were shocked when more than 500 people participated, many of them in family groups. Because the activities reached a range of ages (from small children who could do the sucker pull to more challenging games for adults, to inflatables that were geared for teenagers) families came as unit to enjoy themselves. we also provided a large open space with tables and seating so that people could catch up with each other. We also provided Native designed coloring sheets that included coloring vocabulary, as well as some with basic family vocab, so that children would have something to do while sitting. In total, our events drew 1300 people to learn, reconnect with their community, and find some peace. Having quality campus facilities This goal allows us to provide so many learning opportunities for our students. By having this variety of spaces, we can teach students aspects of horticulture, plant biology, hydroponics, small- and medium- scale agriculture, nature trail maintenance, landscape architecture, how to use a variety of machinery, how to plan and prioritize outdoor work, and even some aspects that aren't as obviously related - engineering, event planning, community building, etc. This year, our student interns took the lead in contacting tilling clients and arranging visits. They also had input on initiatives such as donations to the local elders home, social media marketing, tool maintenance, and landscape planning. Addressing health disparities by enhancing food security The Community Tilling Program continues to be very well received. This year we had 60 plus gardens that were tilled with the help of our intern crew. In addition to these gardens, we also tilled the community garden and the corn/pumpkin patch. The community gardens had 20 plots this year, all full. In addition, we provided seeds and seedlings to anyone in the community that wanted to plant their own garden. All told, we believe we have helped around 300 people with their gardens throughout the year. In addition, we have worked closely with the NDSU representative on campus to provide nutritional education in innovative ways. We used a charcuterie workshop to talk about how to balance a meal; 4-H students learned how to make fruit smoothies during an activity, which let them brainstorm other fruits and vegetables they could try; and the farmers market allowed us to show visitors just how easy and healthy a homemade salsa can be. We are also in the process of using leveraged funds to create a curriculum of food preservation, which will allow us to promote not only nutritious meals, but improved food soverignty.
Publications
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