Agriculture Program
Through hiring an Agricultural Specialist, we hope to develop and promote a tribal agricultural program that will help provide tribal citizens with more food sovereignty, food security, and access to healthy foods. This will be through the development of collaborations, relationships, growing more local foods, and educational workshops for tribal citizens.
The agricultural program is the newest expansion of programming within Kowabdanawa odë kė. The Pokagon Band hired an Agricultural Specialist in late 2023 to begin developing the agricultural program and begin research. To develop the agricultural program further we are researching grant funding opportunities and determining next steps.
Did you know that there are currently community gardens located at the South Bend and Hartford Villages, the Dowagiac Community Center, and on the Rodgers Lake Campus? The community gardens started between the Administration building and Pokagon Health Services in 2015. Since that time, we have expanded their capacity and placed beds in additional locations, to provide more local food options for tribal citizens.
2024 Agriculture Highlights
During 2024 Kowabdanawa odë kė (PBKK) made strides in working to provide food and opportunities to tribal citizens through the agriculture program. In early 2024, we were able to fence in a 3-Acre Garden (3-AG) area and invited tribal citizens to plant within the 3-AG in either raised beds or in-ground plots. This allowed tribal citizens the ability to have the plants that they took care of protected from wildlife. The 3-AG was also used to plant in-ground plants to provide additional foods to tribal citizens.
PBKK worked with PHS to expand the P4 program and provide more nutritious foods to tribal citizens through multiple efforts. In conjunction with PHS and the Food Sovereignty Committee a Wild Game Dinner was held during September, where citizens were able to taste wild game dishes and learn about the species of wild game that can be found on tribal properties. The P4 grant also allowed for the acquisition of a freeze dryer, where multiple fruit types were freeze dried and provided to tribal citizens at the Potawatomi Gathering, food preservation workshops, as well as several other opportunities. Through working with the Center of History and Culture and the P4 program food preservation workshops were developed and held throughout the fall. The preservation workshops included working with tribal citizens to teach food preservation techniques including canning of produce and meats and dehydrating foods. More recently the P4 grant has supported establishing a hydroponic tower located at PHS. The hydroponic tower allows tribal citizens to harvest fresh green vegetables throughout the year, when plants are mature enough for harvesting.
During 2024 the raised beds located at the tribal villages and on main campus were once again cared for by PBKK's Seasonal Gardener, Jill Byrket. Jill has done an amazing job taking care of the garden beds for multiple years and her care and passion for gardening and caring for the plants is quite evident. Jill informed us that 2024 was her last care season. Jill will be dearly missed and there are big gardening shoes to fill for whomever joins PBKK as the seasonal gardener in 2025. Jill says you still may see her around the gardens when she is on campus and potentially lending a hand.
These are just some of the efforts PBKK has made this year towards providing tribal citizens with healthier food opportunities and working towards additional opportunities in the future.