Partnership Brings Opportunities for Collaboration on Fort Berthold
Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish (NHS) College and NDSU Extension joined together to open a new greenhouse and community garden at the NHS College Four Sisters Gardens in New Town, North Dakota.
The new greenhouse facility will be used by NHS College and NDSU Extension staff for educational programming as a part of their land-grant mission. The improvements to the community garden will increase their capacity to teach youth and adult audiences about Native agriculture, gardening and how to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables in their diets to address food-related diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Additionally, Fort Berthold residents will be able to use the community gardens to grow their own fresh produce.
“The Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Nation’s culture and lifeways were deeply and intrinsically tied to land and agriculture, and I’m so pleased to be able to continue that legacy with modern methods that adapt and respect our traditional values,” says Twyla Baker, president of NHS College. “This is a great partnership that I believe will be of benefit to so many students and community members moving forward.”
NHS College and NDSU plan to collaborate on a soil health research program on the impact of soil health on nutritional quality of vegetables. The program will incorporate educational opportunities led by NHS College and NDSU Extension educators for NHS students, local schools, 4-H clubs, families and the community.
“Healthier soils lead to more nutritious food, which leads to healthier people,” says Rebecca Hager, NDSU Extension agent in Fort Berthold who will help lead educational programming.
“From research to education, this program is a truly collaborative effort,” says Hager.
The greenhouse and community garden project was funded by a $112,410 subaward from NDSU Extension to NHSC as a part of a Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) grant. FRETP is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
https://www.facebook.com/NHSCHolisticGardening
Rebecca Hager, 701-627-8034, rebecca.hager@ndsu.edu
