Native Garden: Service Learning Project

Native Garden:Service Learning Project Naomi, Alissa, and Deon

Historical Perspective • Pre-Columbian • Thousands of native cultures spread across North America • In our region, the Dakota and the Anishinaabe people didn’t garden– they were nomadic • Borrowed older gardening techniques from other native cultures (Three Sisters)

Culture • Two main: Anishenaabe and Dakota • White settlers destroyed nomadic culture • Disease • Fencing • Invasive Species • Reservations • Assimilation: Boarding Schools • Capitalist Society vs. Subsistence

Food Systems Then • Survival • Commodity food • Emergence of Gardening

Food Systems Now • Food produced off the reservation • Red Lake: Only one grocery store, rest are convenience store (no fresh food) • Health degradation • Diabetes • Heart ailments • Obesity • Gardening now seen as healing these issues

Design • Consider this… • Interests of all groups involved • Soil type • Slope of land/water runoff • Existing plants • Water access • Number of people working in garden • Intercropping • Aesthetics

Seeds • At the indigenous gardening conference, we learned about the importance of seeds • Heritage seeds • Organic seeds • Cultural significance • Cross pollination

Three Sisters • Corn, squash, beans • Originated in the Southwest

Inventory Corn Squash Beans Cone-flower Hyssop Sage Mountain mint Milkweed Asters Strawberries Rhubarb Spinach Melons Onions Radish Carrots Lettuce Cucumbers Sunflower shoots Tomatoes

Resources • Land- West Central Research and Outreach Center • Tools- share and add to the Student Organic Gardening Club’s tools • Seeds- corn is from Winona LaDuke • Rest of seeds from Seed Savers

Brain Trust • Morris Healthy Eating • Mary Jo Forbord and company • WCROC • Francis Bettelyoun • Dennis Johnson • Indigenous Gardening Conference

Strategies • Good communication between all parties is key. • Staying flexible throughout learning process • Gardening log • Commitment • Long and short term

Short-term Implementation • Tilling • Dig a pit for composting pulled weeds • Planting seeds • Green mulch of organic straw from Mary Jo’s farm will be placed down • Maintain garden • Weeding, watering, trellis as needed • Winterization • Planting winter rye

Long-term Implementation • No-till • Plant seeds • More perennials; berries, fruit trees, etc. • Green mulch • Maintain garden • Winterization • Extra layer of green mulch

Long-term Structures • Animals • Bees and chickens • Greenhouse • Tool shed • Tools, seed library, root cellar • Picnic tables

Challenges • Planting • Planning • Choosing seeds • Design • Growing • Weather • Pests • Human resources • Jobs

Challenges • Harvesting • People’s commitment • Storage • Unseen catastrophes (cows) • Distribution

Community Outreach • Gardening Partners • Education • In-season Events • Post-season Events • Use of Produce

Conclusion • The main thing that we learned during this project is how much we still need to learn. • Learning by doing is vital. • The process is just as important as the produce. • “Native-ness” of plants

Native Garden: Service Learning Project