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Re-Discovering Indigenous Crop ProductionRequest for Applications (pdf)Dr. Jeff Kirwan, Extension Specialist and Professor, Virginia Tech Department of Forestry, (and joint appointment in the American Indian Studies Program) AbstractWhat we propose is to promote planting, harvesting, marketing of crops indigenous to America before Columbus, in order to re-capture sustainable agriculture that will help American Indians re-learn traditions, and benefit economically and nutritionally from the experiences.We will work with American Indian growers and marketers in Virginia. We will share our results with 4H'ers, Ag in the Classroom (AITC) teachers, Master Gardeners and other state extension workers, through www-sites, email lists (listservs), inservices, and conference presentations. Opening Narrative"What the young people need most," explained a 4-H agent that works on an American Indian reservation, "is not equipment or training or even seeds. It would help most if they realized that their culture and wholesome values are intimately tied to the earth and the cycle of growing."What we propose is to promote planting, harvesting, marketing of crops indigenous to America before Columbus, in order to re-capture sustainable agriculture that will help American Indians re-learn traditions, and benefit economically and nutritionally from the experiences. The need to re-invest in these varietals is clear: "agricultural plant biodiversity is eroding as growth in global human population forces shifts in land uses and more displacement of indigenous crops" states a 2003 ARS document. Both local growers and university research studies have found indigenous crops such as nuts & berries from trees, squashes, and jams to be rich in anti-oxidants, nutrition and disease resistance, when compared to large scale farming counterparts. Also, often, indigenous crops mature later and through a longer range of days than commercial varietals, and so, are better suited to warmer seasons and backyard gardens for home consumption. We propose to work with American Indian growers and marketers in Virginia. We will share our results with 4H'ers, Ag in the Classroom (AITC) teachers, Master Gardeners and other state extension workers, through www-sites, email lists (listservs), inservices, and conference presentations. Five sites have been identified. One demonstration garden will be on-campus at Virginia Tech, and available to students learning in agriculture, natural resources, and the American Indian Studies program. Four sites will be in the neediest areas of Virginia; one site on the Mattaponi Reservation in King William County and two on Indian-owned land in King William County (Upper Mattaponi) and Charles City County (Chickahominy), and one in Amherst County (Monacan). The strong Extension program throughout Virginia is well-suited to take the lead in this project. We plan to support 4-H workers already providing services to youth in these areas; to use Virginia Tech's Food Science services to identify varietals richest in protein, vitamins and anti-oxidants; to use Virginia Tech's Foods department to help fledgling jam & jelly producers; to use our Horticulture Extension marketing connections to nurseries to market seeds and seedlings; and to encourage AITC classrooms, Master/Gardener programs, and additional 4-H and agricultural extension agents & clubs to reproduce our gardens, container plants, and fledgling arboretums. The Role of the Advisory and Evaluation TeamWe have assembled an advisory and evaluation team selected for their expertise and potential for engagement with the project. They include two Department Heads at Virginia Tech (horticulture and agronomy), who will offer technical advice to growers, and who will be intimately involved with the indigenous crops grown at Kentland Farm, the University research farm.In their role as Department Heads, they will be able to direct other faculty expertise to the project as needed. The director of the American Indian Studies Program at Virginia Tech is an expert in interdisciplinary studies, and will offer the insight of historical interpretation and cultural awareness. A specialist from Virginia's 1890 institution will provide expertise in programs directed at small, minority landowners, which is especially germane to Virginia's Indians, many of whom own land in fee simple. An additional specialist at Virginia Tech has her research interest in developing local markets for agricultural products. The project plan provides specific measures for success. These measures will be reported to the Advisory and Evaluation Team for their semi-annual review. In addition, the Team will be asked to develop additional measures as they interact with tribal elders, growers, and representatives. The Role of the Project ManagerA Project Manager/Technical Writer at Virginia Tech position would be key to adapting existing lesson plans, creating new ones where warranted, writing material for publication & www-page resources, shaping promotional advertising and information mini-factsheets that accompany the marketed seed-packets, jams, and tree-seedlings. This position is also responsible for the day-to-day coordination of the project, including communication with site managers and growers in both states. The manager will edit submissions to the on-line database developed for K-12 education, communicate with members of the listserve, file reports, assist with the hiring of local gardeners, and help develop local markets for specialty crops.Other BenefitsAs well as the obvious benefits of providing sustenance, employment, and cottage industry funds to these growers, our program will support these areas:·Intergenerational transmission of culture & faith within highly oral cultures. Many of the growers that we've encountered in American Indian communities are seniors, with stories and practices never written down, and in danger of being lost. We've had experience with time- and labor-intensive gardening, cooking, jam processing, and non-food crafts being excellent avenues to one-to-one encounters where youth can learn from community elders. ·Education & experience with non-food usages. For example, the White Earth nation has already worked with indigenous woods on the reservation to build canoes. Other non-food uses include using hickories for shade trees, implement handles and crafts; nut oils for cooking and dyes from nuts in art and hair-dye applications; Halloween pumpkin sales, and ·Science education: this includes practical scientific methods & inquiries such as "which varietal grows best?" "which varietal is most disease and insect resistant" and lesson plans already in place in math, statistics & biology. for science classes. ·to begin to build on-campus gardens and green-zones in K-12 schools that have been shown to be therapeutic "green zones" and provide hands-on classroom activities. ·To exemplify the value of "slow foods" that are grown locally, avoid transportation expenses, and provide alternatives to high-sugar & over-processed alternatives. ·Identifying optimum seeds, leading to seed exchanges with other seeds, and marketing seeds kits (& perhaps jams and hickory teas) at reservation & state-tourism related stores. We envision including background information about the seeds, with every sale; along the model established by the successful marketing of Celestial Seasoning teas. A typical growing site will be developed in two phases. The first year an annual/perennial garden will be established that will have immediate interprative value and be a demonstration focal point. Concurrently tree seeds will be planted into an experiemental bed for transplanting into an orchard the second year. Garden and orchard will be grown in close proximity as close to historical references suggest. We will build on the information already gathered by the Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, Information Centers Branch of the National Agricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service, U.S.D.A. in Beltsville, MD. Specifically we will communicate with Public Gardens and Living Historical Farm Museums for the purpose of sharing heritage plant varieties and their historical contexts for public display. The Red Lake Nation has developed a new business, Red Lake Nation Foods that promotes locally grown and processed foods including wild rice, jams and jellies made from the wild berries found on that reservation. Their organization will serve as one model for other tribal groups to follow. The Minnesota ProjectThe Virginia ProjectBibliographyResearch TopicsThere are landscape design and architecture quetions that need to be addressed. One question is the historic accuracy of the popular three sisters concept, the mutualistic growing together of corns, beans and squash, fertilized by menhaden. The early Virginia accounts mention only corn and beans being grown together, with maypops (now a mostly forgotten garden vegetable) spreading on the ground between. There is no mention of fertilizing with fish. Also, there were apparently several layers of crop "organization", that are probaly best described as gardens, orchards, crop fields and nut groves. It must have been dramatically different from the European level of organization because so many people missed the fact they were intentional. Table 1. Participating Sites
Table 2. Satellite Sites (expressed interest in the concept and will be included for information exchange and future collaboration)
South Carolina tribes Proposed plantsshagbark and shellbark hickoryyaupon holly red mulberry persimmon gooseberry rose hips pawpaw chickasaw plum butternut strawberry ginseng pumpions (pumpkins) maypop or maricock (passion fruit) corn and beans Needs of constituentsFor Virginia Indian tribes the needs are also primarily cultural. Here the primary concern is for basic recognition and the right to participate in how their history and culture is presented in K-12 curricula. Sterio-typically, Virginia Indians are presented as tribes that no longer exist, and that Virginia (and American) history begins with Jamestown. Virginia tribes want people to know their culture is very much alive and contributed to and makes possible the social fabric of modern America. There is a need to develop youth who can serve as cultural interpreters (ambassadors) to schools and other educational institutions. At American Forests Historic Tree Nursery, tree seeds are grown to seedlings, then re-sold to the public, in order to promote greater appreciation for trees as a historic and cultural resource. They need volunteers to identify historic or cultural trees, collect seed, and send to the nursery for planting. In the case of indigenous crops, for which there is very little knowledge of seedling production methods, they need growers to experiement and discover the production methods that work, such as how to treat seed before planting, days to germination, germination percentage, cultural practices needed to increase germination rates, root growth development and cycles, optimum age of seedling for transplanting and resale, etc. Project DirectorJeff Kirwan (Nause-Waiwash)Extension Specialist and Professor Virginia Tech Department of Forestry Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-7265 jkirwan@vt.edu Focus AreaImprove production efficiency, productivty, and profitablilty over the long term (including specialty crop policy and marketing)Project TypeScience Delivery, with emphasis on using new technologies that disseminate information to stakeholders, using a cross-discipline approach that incorporates economic, social and environmental exposure. Our category within Science Delivery will be multi-institutional, bringing together two or more research or outreach entities, which might include (but not limited to) 4-H, Ag in the Classroom, American Forests Historic Tree Program, local and state arboreta, museums, vocational-technical schools, and agricultural research stations. |
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