Agricultural 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. A Tribal Citizen Agricultural survey was initiated earlier this year, and results are currently being compiled. 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.
Be on the lookout this growing season as we begin developing a 3-acre parcel with a fenced, in-ground garden, flowers, fruit trees, raised beds, and hopefully eventually a hoophouse and play and rest areas for citizens.