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<li> To provide educational opportunities through the TMCC Anishinabe Learning, Cultural, and Wellness Centers "Intro to Native American Gardening" to 10 students during a six week period which will include workshops in food safety, nutrition, food production, weed and pest control, horticulture, and self-sustainability. Workshops will be open to all community members and families involved in the project. The objective will cover building community gardens for designated families in need which will aid in sustainabile food production. (This will measured by family sign-up sheets, photos, and educational activities,and workshop attendence records). <li> To build nearly 50 gardens for identified families in need. This will include tillage, planting, and educatinal assistance with harvesting. Ten TMCC "Intro to Native Gardening" students will use the education they have received, during the six week time period, and will apply this knowledge to the assistence of this objective. These ten students will receive student assistence once the curriculum and project objectives are complete. (This will be measured by application forms for assistance, photos, and sign-up sheets.) </ol>
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The occurrence of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, poor diets, inactivity, and obesity has been a continuoius problem among Native Americans. All activites will focus on lifelong learning skills that will improve economic well-being, social well-being and overall health choices.
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APPROACH: A class will be conducted around "Intro to Native American Gardening" and workshops held in food safety, nutrition, food production, weed and pest control, horticulture, and self sustainability for students and community members of the Turtle Mountains. TMCC Anishinabe Learning and Cultural Wellness Center will provide the use of its tractor to help with family garden building. The TMCC Special Emphasis Program and students from the "Intro to Native American Gardening" class will travel to local community homes to till gardens for 50 needy community members who would like to grow their own fruits and vegetables. This not only encourages healthy eating but also promotes healthy exercise which will increase the overall health of the individual and community outreach from our local 1994 land grant institution. This will help reduce the dependence on the food stamp program and commodity distribution warehouse. <P>
TMCC Special Emphasis Program will provide seedlings (grown in the TMCC growing area) and seeds to at least 50 families for the development of their own personal gardens. TMCC Special Emphasis Program will utilize 10 students from the "Intro to Native American Gardening" class to help in the building of community gardens. Develop and distribute pamphlets and brochures on topics of interest. Develop a procedure for determining which families, or the families most in need, this grant will serve. <P>
Gardening basics will include a master gardener who will present the workshops on gardening. The master gardener will demonstrate preparation, planting, tending, and harvesting techniques. Participants will be presented with traditional/cultural techniques of preparation, planting, tending, and harvesting. <P>Food Safety participants will learn safe handling, preparation, and storage of meat, poultry, and egg products as well as other food safety information.<P> A licensed nutritionist will present the workshops on proper nutrition. The nutritionist will encourage the participants to properly maintain a healthy diet with nutritional foods. <P>Food Production participants will learn the various methods of home food production. This segment is to help families learn how to produce their annual harvest as to enhance their economic well-being. <P>The Weed and Pest Control presentation will educate the participants about weed & pest identification and materials and methods used to control or eradicate weeds or pests. The participants will also learn about identification, propagation, soil management, fertilization, growth control, and irrigation of fruits and vegetables.<P> Self Sustainability is a project where the creation of products and services is home-based, rather than factory-based. These families will learn the basics of a home gardening model while learning how to produce and harvest their own fresh fruits and vegetables from their back yards. <P>The county being served will be Rolette County. The project participants will receive education in all components listed before the completion of the project year.