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Strengthening Sustainable Agriculture Programming with Native American Producers in the West

Strengthening Sustainable Agriculture Programming with Native American Producers in the West

Summary/Abstract

This Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Professional Development Program proposal addresses the educational needs of agricultural professionals working with Indian Tribes or Native American producers. While almost every reservation works with a USDA agency and agriculture professional, most programs are not specifically designed for Native American agriculture producers or Indian Tribes. If is extremely important for agriculture professionals to understand the “Indian situation” in order to assist in facilitating the enhancement of environmental quality and natural resources to satisfy a quality of life founded by human food and fiber needs.

A focus group in Nevada organized by the Nevada Extension Indian Reservation Program in September 2003 asked agriculture professionals and Tribal representatives to identify problems with getting government programs on the ground on Indian reservations. One of the problems listed by agriculture professionals was that “We don’t understand the Indian situation. Each reservation is different.”

This professional development program led by the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension with collaboration from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Intertribal Agriculture Council, will have three primary objectives. The objective are 1) To prepare USDA and other ag professionals with the knowledge and understanding of the Tribes or Native American ag producers; 2) To strengthen and increase sustainable ag programming with Tribes and Native American producers in the West by USDA and other ag professionals; and 3) To increase the participation of Tribes or Native American ag producers in the educational programming and services or programs offered by USDA agencies.

The target audience for this SARE professional development program will be USDA field personnel including Cooperative Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Rural Development, Farm Service Agency and any other agriculture field personnel interested. However, other University faculty outside of Cooperative Extension and non-profits currently working with Indian Tribes will also be invited to participate. It is anticipated that agriculture professionals will anticipate in Nevada, Idaho, Washington and Oregon.

This will be a two-year professional development program project. The first year will be compiling data, including interviews, to create publications and a video. Printing of 1,000 publication and DS’s will occur within the first quarter of the second year. Training workshops will be scheduled in the second year with Nevada, Idaho, Washington and Oregon being the targeted states with at least one training session per state. Workshops may be scheduled in other Western states as time and funding allows.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Objectives and Outcomes

Activities & Methods:
This professional development program led by the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension with collaboration from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Intertribal Agriculture Council, will have three primary objectives.

A. To prepare USDA and other agriculture professionals with the knowledge and understanding of the social, political and economic environment relevant to developing sustainable agriculture educational programs with Tribes or Native American agriculture producers.

B. To strengthen and increase sustainable agriculture programming with Tribes and Native American producers in the West by USDA and other agriculture professionals.

C. To increase the participation of Tribes or Native American agriculture producers in the educational programming and services or programs offered by USDA agencies.

To accomplish these objectives, the PI will undertake the following activities:

1. Identify the essential elements of successful efforts introducing or conducting sustainable agriculture programs with Tribal or Native American producers in the West. This will involve:
a. Researching the laws and regulations using assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to find the history of how reservations were set up in the West.
b. Collaborating with Natural Resource Conservation Service and Intertribal Agriculture Outreach staff to identify successfully implemented USDA programs on Indian reservations in the West, and analyze and identify why the USDA programs were successful.
c. Establish a criteria and question base to interview Native American Producers and Tribal leaders about the social interaction and politics of the reservation environment.
i. Identify the strategies to use to be successful when working on an Indian reservation.
ii. Understand the social levels and politics of Indian reservations.
2. The PIs will use the information and “lessons learned” from these activities to develop a curriculum and video tape for use in training USDA and other ag professionals on strengthening sustainable ag programming with Tribal and Native American producers.
3. The PIs will organize and conduct pilot training sessions with the target audience in Nevada, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Collaborators will be involved in training and provide assistance in creating educational publications.

The first year will be spent on the first two activities and the second year devoted to the third activity and to evaluating initial outcomes/impacts related to the Objectives.

3) Products: This program will result in an overall publication/CD and video tape for reference and use by the average USDA ag professional. Created publications and video will be used in 8 pilot workshop training sessions in four Western states.

E. Outcomes: Anticipated outcomes are:

1. To prepare USDA and other ag professionals with the knowledge and understanding of the social, political and economic environment relevant to developing sustainable agriculture educational programs with Tribal or Native American agriculture producers.

2. To strengthen and increase sustainable agriculture programming with Tribal and Native
American producers in the West by USDA and other agriculture professionals.

3. To increase the participation of Tribal or Native American ag producers in the educational programming and services or programs offered by USDA agencies.

Objective 1 is the short-term learning and/or improved skills that will be occur in program participants. Objective 2 represents medium-term increases in interaction between USDA agriculture professionals/programs/services and the Tribal or Native American producers. Objective 3 would be the ultimate long-term outcome resulting from changes in behavior by USDA agriculture professionals resulting in increasing benefit to Tribal or Native American producers.




Project Content Page

2005 Proposal

Project Number: EW05-005
Type: Professional Development Program
Region: West
SARE Grant: $90,000

Coordinator:
Staci Emm
Extension Educator
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
P.O. Box 810 , 314 Fifth Street
Hawthorne, NV 8944
Phone: 775-945-3444
E-mail: emms@unce.unr.edu
Website: http://www.unce.unr.edu

Staci Emm
Extension Educator
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
P.O. Box 810
Hawthorne, NV 89415
Phone: 775-945-3444
E-mail: emms@unce.unr.edu
Website: http://www.unce.unr.edu


Loretta  Singletary
Extension Educator
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
P.O. Box 811
Yerington, NV 89447
Phone: 775-463-6541
E-mail: singletaryl@unce.unr.edu
Website: http://www.unce.unr.edu

Participants:
 
Farm Service Agency
Reno , NV 89557

Ross Racine
Executive Director
Intertribal Agriculture Council

Cub Wolfe
American Indian Liaison
Natural Resources Conservation Service
This project and all associated reports and support materials were supported by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture- National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed within do not necessarily reflect the view of the SARE program or the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.