Kemēcemenaw: Menominee Food Sovereignty

RESOURCES

Farming 101

Ancient Menominee squash. The ancient squash seeds date back at least 800 years.

Seed saving squash seeds. Indigenous chefs then prepare the squash as part of the conference dinner.

There are numerous food sovereignty conferences and training programs that advocate for Indigenous self- determination, cultures, values, communities, economies, languages, wellness, and families while upholding best agricultural practices. Staff from the College of Menominee Nation and its extension division have made connections at the following conferences that have played an important part in our food sovereignty work. Having a well-established network and building relationships with other professionals engaged in food sovereignty work across Indian Country — learning about their experiences, successes, and challenges — is critical. This, by far, is not a complete list of conferences and training programs, but they have empowered and inspired our food sovereignty work. “Farming 101” was hosted by the University of Wisconsin Division of Extension, College of Menominee Nation’s Department of Continuing Education, Menominee Indian Tribe, and the Intertribal Agriculture Council. It was a two-day conference held in February of 2019 that brought together Native American farmers and gardeners to share their experiences and learn about resources available from the state of Wisconsin as well as the federal government. Topics included seed keeping, cultural perspectives on food and community health, cooperative marketing, Tribal farms and food enterprises, and developing a better understanding of the land and soil you are trying to cultivate. Nine of the eleven Tribes in the state attended. The two days provided experiential learning in healthy cooking from Native American chefs in the state as well as a seed exchange on the last day. United States Department of Agriculture program representatives presented funding opportunities from the Natural Resource and Conservation Service, Farm Services Administration, Rural Development, National Agricultural Statistics Service, and the Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council. We hope this will become an annual event to share and network with Tribes in the Midwest.

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