2015 Success Story Publication

TA Network

Intertribal Agriculture Council - Technical Assistance Network

the

© 2015 Intertribal Agriculture Council - TA Network - Volume 3 - Spring 2015

Youth and The Food Sovereignty ContinuumThe future is always in the hands of the youth, which is why it is important to engage youth into the plans of our leaders. The first ever Native American Youth Agriculture Summit was held in July 2014 with the assistance of Intertribal Agriculture Council. The youth that attended brought innovative ideas and thoughts to the Summit. All walked away with new perspectives of Agriculture and the history of Native People.

The Ag Summit offered many presentations, learning opportunities, business planning group projects, and cultural insights. The youth were given a group project to build a plan for their specific business. This project became a surprise to the Advisors because the youth took it to a whole new level. When youth are given the chance to show their skill and knowledge, they bring out perspectives that were not imagined. The Ag Summit thanks to the Intertribal Agriculture Council was a success that has broadens the horizon for youth in Indian Country.

Youth today aren’t always educated on the importance of Agriculture or their Heritage; this is why it is crucial as Agriculture Leaders in Indian Country we engage our youth. Our time now is critical for youth to understand the importance of Agriculture and the roots of Indian Country. Our heritage is directly tied to Agriculture and it is time for our youth to take the next step and take part in the roles of our leaders.

-Odessa R. Oldham Native American Agriculture Summit Student Advisor

“The work we do in agriculture is so important, I have learned so much and I’m going to make the best of it.” – Lena Sanchez (2014 Youth Summit Agriculture Ambassador & 2014 IAC Essay Contest Winner)

“I have learned about anything from Ag law and policy, food safety, production agriculture, and history of the Native American tribes starting this wonderful project to get Native youth voice[s] to speak up for agriculture!” –Zachary Ilbery (2014 Youth Summit Agriculture Ambassador)

© 2015 Intertribal Agriculture Council - TA Network - Volume 3 - Spring 2015 1

Keeping Indian agriculture lands productive by helping people help the land.Through a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Tribal Relations and the Intertribal Agricul-ture Council, the Technical Assistance Centers were established in order to increase access and use of USDA programs and services by Indian producers and Tribes.

By working to streamline existing programs and assisting producers with the application process, our goal is to build a more functional relationship between the USDA and Indian Country and play a role in the evolution of those programs over time.

Whether it is working one-to-one with Indian producers to match your goals and objectives to the right government agency for assistance, or working with Tribal Leaders and Tribal organizations to form Tribal-Federal partnerships on reservation or area-wide programs, our staff is ready to help.

The successes documented in this publication recognize the American Indian spirit and highlights values such as perserverance, patience, persistence, and trust and the willingness to meet adversities and succeed through these values.1

2 © 2015 Intertribal Agriculture Council - TA Network - Volume 3 - Spring 2015

Dave Monture is the TA Specialist in the Alaska Region with responsibilities for Southwest and Northwest Alaska. He is a Bear Clan Mohawk. He has a keen interest in circumpolar affairs and sustainable development.

Dorothy Shockley is the Alaska Tribal Technical As-sistant Specialist covering the regions of Interior; South Central and South East Alaska. She is Upper Koyukon Athabascan and belongs to the Caribou Clan. She is currently President of her Village Corporation and owner of a small business doing consult-ing work for native organization including the Alaska Federation of Natives.

Barbara Blake is a Part-Time Technical Assistant Special-ist covering the regions of Interior and Southeast Alaska. She is of Haida, Tlingit and Ahtna Athabascan descent and belongs to the Yahkw ’Láanaas (Raven/Shark House) clan. She also serves as the Government Affairs Liaison with the Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.


TTCD Community Garden SuccessTyonek Tribal Conservation District in this year alone has gone from a serious forest fire threat to the community to record food production in its community gardens and an invitation to First Lady Michelle Obama to visit its food security operations.

The off the road system community of 190 people produces fresh organic vegetables in its 1.5 acre operation with two NRCS high tunnels with solar powered irrigation and ventilation systems.

Tyonek ensures students in the local school must be involved in ev-ery stage of the gardening operation from starting the seeds to transplanting them in the garden; weeding; harvesting and produce distribution.

The Tyonek Tribal Conservation covers 6.5 million acres! Besides its farm to school and elders food security efforts, the community is very mindful of its stewardship of subsistence resources. Con-servation efforts include improvements to moose brouse and fish passage programs. The Intertribal Agriculture Council’s Technical Assistance program continues to assist the conservation district as it grows.

Since 2012, TTCD has worked closely with the Native Village of Tyo-nek, the Tyonek community, and other partners to assist with Tyo-nek’s goal of developing a community garden. The goals of this project are to improve food security for Tyonek, supply food to the elder’s program, and produce food in a sustainable way.

In 2013, the Tyonek Garden growing capacity was increased through the installation of high tunnels, solar panels, and an irrigation system. This spring students at the Tebughna school have begun planting vegetable starts for the garden. ek village and its Tribal Conserva-tion District in this year alone has gone from a

Steven Bond has a strong technical background and diverse experiences working with agriculture and rural development. In 2003 he finished a Bachelors of Science in Biology and Environmental Chemistry at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. His graduate work was completed in 2011 at Oklahoma State University where he received a Masters of Science in the Watershed Resources Management Program and worked as a Research Assistant in the Biosystems Agricultural Engineering Department, working closely with the OSU Agriculture Extension Program. Throughout his collegiate years he received multiple honors and fellowships including the Alfred P. Sloan Fellow award, NABS Graduate Fellowship, and multiple undergraduate and graduate fellowship from the Louis Strokes Alliance for Minority Participation. In 2005 he began work as the Ethnobotanist for the Chickasaw Nation and quickly developed the Ecological Resources Program that served as an “Extension” approach to share technical information about traditional agriculture and environmental sustainability. Steven currently works for the Intertribal Agriculture Council as the Technical Assistance Specialist in the Eastern Oklahoma Region. He is from Stratford, Oklahoma where he also owns and manages a small Pecan orchard and organic farm. His office is in Ada, Oklahoma.



Chickasaw Farmer’s MarketOklahoma is the cross roads of the Nation, the I-35 and I-40 interstates connect many Americans to their food, family, and mail. The Eastern Oklahoma Region is also in the ecological cross roads; Great Plains to the north and west, Southeastern Coastal Plains to the south, and the Eastern Deciduous Forest to the east. Although the Bureau of Indian Affairs Eastern Oklahoma Region principally consist of the Five Tribes, in terms of land mass, it is also a cross roads for many tribes. Historically, large cattle operations, fruit production, and wheat farms dominated the area. In modern times following the Dawes Commission and Statehood, Oklahoma is comprised of thousands of family farms, ranches, and farmland. Also, much of these lands have returned to nature or less pleasantly set idle neither yielding production nor contributing to national conservation efforts.

Technical Assistance Clients range from large self sufficient farms and ranches held by tribes and individuals to beginning farmers and ranchers. There is little to no trust land nor assistance from Tribal Governments for their citizens. In this environment USDA plays a critical role for the Beginning Farmers and Ranchers and Socially Disadvantaged Applicants that make-up the recovering agricultural economy of the Eastern Oklahoma Region. Intertribal Agriculture Council works with these producers to make sure they have access to all that USDA has to offer.

Some ongoing projects include developing the Farmers Markets throughout the region, assisting individual families with cattle loans, and providing the ongoing support to vegetable farmers taking them from road-side capacity to a more regional exchange of goods. Highlights include the development of a cooperative of farmers to supply the Farm to School programs in rural Eastern Oklahoma, an educational project that received grant funding to purchase equipment more suitable form Beginning Farmers and

Ranchers for use as an example of what is available and in a more limited capacity used to install niche type production models for the farmers markets and traditional foods projects.

Although food and agricultural products from the East and West Coast pass through Oklahoma Eastern Oklahoma Region much of the best Value-added products do not make it on the shelves in rural Eastern Oklahoma. The Intertribal Agriculture Council is working with producers, tribes, USDA, and other shareholders to increase the amount of value-added foods produced to take advantage of the emerging markets Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the surrounding populations while also ensuring raw agricultural products produced in this region gets converted into value-added food that benefits the dietary needs of tribal members as well as increases their return on investments for their farms and ranches.


Adam Schuchhardt is the Technical Assistance Specialist for the Great Plains Region. He is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe where he grew up ranching. Most recently, he worked for the FSA as a Loan Officer covering the largest territory in SD.


Continuing her Dad’s LegacyKaitlyn Dupris is an enrolled member of the Chey-enne River Sioux Tribe located in central South Dakota. As a young girl growing up in Cherry Creek, SD, she actively participated in the day-to-day responsibilities of her father, Maynard Dupris’, cattle operation, with the knowledge that one-day she would partner with her dad in the family cattle business. Upon his unexpected passing in 2011 she took it upon herself, at the young age of 22 years, to manage the operation until it was sold to settle the estate.

The ranching life was the only life Kaitlyn ever knew and the only one she was interested in having as an adult. After her father’s passing and his estate settled, she set about starting her own cattle operation to continue the legacy that her dad and family were devoted to. She followed the path that her dad set out for her. The first step began with contacting the local Farm Service Agency (FSA).

Initially it was a struggle to fit what she envisioned for her cattle operation with the parameters that FSA thought would better suit her. Kaitlyn reached out to the local Intertribal Agriculture Council Technical Assistance Program for support in develop-ing and packaging a FSA loan application. With the encourage-ment and support of her mother and brothers, she worked with IAC staff to submit an application with her proposed operation to the local FSA Office. The process was a lengthy one and yet Kaitlyn never faltered in her pursuit. In January 2014 her applica-tion was approved and by March 2014, she was able to purchase cows and the equipment she needed to begin her operation.

Ten months later, Kaitlyn has a viable operation. The successful sale of her calves in Fall 2014 will allow her to not only grow the size of her herd, but to create a sustainable operation through-out the duration of the loan period and beyond. Kaitlyn is not one who likes a lot of attention or acknowledgement, but she is often the first to give thanks to those who helped her when she needed it. In her own words, she said, “I am grateful to the IAC staff for their persistent encouragement and continued support. I am also thankful for the staff of the local FSA office for their belief in me and continued support.”

Those that knew her dad Maynard, know that he would be in-credibly proud of “Katie” and he never would have doubted for a minute that she couldn’t have began her own cattle opera-tion. She is an inspiration to many and most importantly, she is following in his footsteps of her father and doing what she was born to do, raise cattle on her family’s ranch.


Mobile Farmers Market UpdateThe Mobile Farmers Market’s second season built upon the first year’s success by continuing to host market events in Tribal com-munities. While funding constraints limited the number of events compared to 2013, the effort’s expanded line of products has provided greater access to traditional foods and more inspira-tion to aspiring and existing producers in developing marketable products. The market exhibit has also participated in a trade-shows and large conferences that have expanded overall aware-ness of Native-produced products. Additionally, the effort has helped draw more producers to IAC’s “Made by American In-dians” trademark, a free program that provides certification to help distinguish authentic Native foods and arts.

Daniel Cornelius is the TA Specialist for the Region that includes Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Iowa. His position focuses on helping Indian Tribes and Tribal food producers gain better access to USDA programs, as well as on general food and agricultural issues. Much of his current work centers on strengthening connections and partnerships among the region’s food producers and communities, a task highlighted by IAC’s new Mobile Farmers Market.

Support Staff Bruce Savage is the Market Coordinator for the Mo-bile Farmers Market, he joined the IAC staff after partici-pating in the American Indian Foods program. A Fond du Lac Band member in Minnesota, Bruce finishes wild rice and is a maple syrup producer. Lea Zeise is the Midwest Region’s Marketing and Logistics Spcialist. Her responsibilities include grant writ-ing, helping to coordinate the schedule and customer accounts for the Mobile Farmers Market, organizing work-shops, and providing technical assistance. Lea is from the Oneida reservation in Wisconsin.


Maple Syrup Cooperative Traditional foods have been making a major resurgence in our Native communities, offering opportunity to engage youth, strengthen pride in our cultures, and develop sustainable local economies. Maple syrup and sugar are one of the major traditional foods in the Great Lakes Region that used to dominate life during the springtime when entire villages would disappear into the woods for weeks at a time when the sap flowed. To illustrate the extent of historic production, the Menominee Nation produced 75,000 pounds of maple sugar in 1866, which would have required boiling down over 3 million gallons of sap. In an effort to begin building toward expanded production, a small group of syrup producers began meeting as a steering committee for a cooperative in early 2014. With support from Cooperative Development Services, ACCEED Consulting, and the Intertribal Agriculture Council, this steering committee developed and refined a vision for the Intertribal Maple Syrup Producers Co-op that was officially incorporated in August 2014. Support staff, in close consultation with steering committee members, wrote a successful USDA Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) that is providing additional financial assistance in conducting a feasibility study for expanded maple syrup production and marketing that should lay the foundation for a corresponding business plan to guide the Co-op through its initial expansion. Generous

support from the Shakopee Mdwekanton Sioux Community has provided matching funds for Tribal VAPGs over the past two years – an important element of successful applications given grant’s the 1:1 match requirement. Next steps for the co-op are continuing to move forward with the feasibility study while continuing to refine the organization’s strategic plan and expand educational support and product purchasing.

Teaching Seed SavingSeed saving is a hallmark of sovereign agriculture. It perpetuates the vitality of our food systems. Seed saving also strengthens the link to generations past, and ensures the vitality of future generations. It has also been a hot topic in the Great Lakes region. A call for workshop topics was sent out early this year, and the response was nearly unanimous: SEEDS! Answering that call, IAC has helped make 2014 a year rich in seed saving knowledge and networking in the Great Lakes Region. In March, IAC co-sponsored a Seed School at Shakopee, MN in partnership with Native Seeds/SEARCH and Mdewakanton

Wozupi. This weeklong event trained nearly thirty Native producers from as near as Mdewakanton Sioux community and as far as Hawaii. The workshop started with basic seed and germination biology and finished with the traditions, stories, and songs attached to our sacred seeds. By the end of the week, a new network of seed savers came to life, ready to spread the word. IAC started one month later at another co-sponsored event, the Food Sovereignty Summit in Oneida, WI. The Mobile Farmers Market booth closed up to get ready for a lively Seed Swap that lasted hours with Oneida white corn seeds mingling with beans from Peru and chilies from Mexico. It was clear that more workshops and seed work lay ahead. Over the coming months, nearly a dozen workshops sprung from the Seed School graduates, three put on by regional TA staff. With just one day at each location, the subject matter was pared down to the basics: The Three Sisters. At Lac Courte Oreille Ojibwa Community College and both College of Menominee Nation campus locations, 25 more Native producers and educators came together to learn about the biology and cultural significance of saving seeds. The seed stories, songs, and traditions that were brought forth through these events have influenced the future Native Producer Summit hosted by IAC this spring, where TA staff are planning to host an Honor the Seeds Social Dance in coordination with Oneida Cultural Heritage.

Katherine Minthorn Goodluck is the TA Specialist working with the Tribes of Oregon and Idaho. She is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Uma-tilla. In 2008, Katherine was appointed to the Secretary of Agriculture’s Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers.

Michael Shellenberger is the Technical Assis-tance Specialist working with the Tribes of Washington State and Northern Idaho. Michael was born and raised on the Yakama Indian Reservation in Toppenish, WA.


Hard Work and Patience Pays Off Carrie and Rod Picking live on the Colville Indian Reservation where Carrie is an enrolled member. The Pickings currently operate a small cattle operation which includes twenty cow and calf pairs. It has been their dream for many years to have a ranch of their own where they could raise their own hay and have winter pas-ture for their cattle.

In the Spring of 2014 a 537 acre ranch located on the reserva-tion opened up for sale. The Pickings became very interested in purchasing the ranch. While attending an outreach meeting that the Intertribal Agricultural Council sponsored, the Pickings discovered that - USDA Technical Assistance Specialist Michael Shellenberger-would help them in the process of acquiring a loan through the Farm Service Agency. The sellers of the ranch were asking a price that was not eco-nomically feasible for the Pickings, as was discovered during the process of working through income and expenses. After several months of negotiations, an agreeable price was ob-tained. There were also problems with the understood water rights to the property, these rights needed to be renegotiated in order for the ranch to operate, fortunately this too came to pass. The Pickings now have been approved for a FSA Direct Own-ership Loan and a FSA Direct Operating Loan. This loan is set-ting precedence for the Colville Reservation. The Pickings now are looking at the NRCS- EQIP program for next year.


Burns Pauite Public Domain Allotments

In the Spring of 1868 General Crook made an offer of “Peace or Death.” That year Paiute Chiefs We-You-We-Wa, Gsha-Nee, Po-Nee, Chow-Wat-Na-Nee, E-He-Gant (Egan), Ow-Its (oits), and Tash-E-Go signed a treaty guaranteeing them a reserva-tion in their homeland. Unfortunately, the cutoff date for signing Indian treaties was passed before the treaty went before Congress; therefore, Con-gress never ratified this treaty. Four years later the Malheur Reservation was created, taken from the larger area of Oregon’s entire southeastern corner, which was the first set aside for that purpose. The 1,778,560 acres of reservation land included Castle Rock, Strawberry Butte, the Silvies River, Malheur Lake and the North and South Forks of the Mal-heur River within its boundaries. January of 1876 President Grant, under pressure from settlers, or-dered the northern shores of Malheur Lake open for settlement, an area important to the tribe for wada seeds. The “hostile Indians” were ordered 350 miles north to the Yakama Reservation at Fort Simcoe. In 1887, the people that stayed were allotted 160 acre parcels of land near Burns, Oregon.

Today, descendants of the original allottees are a mixture of various tribal members of other Tribes as well as Burns Paiute tribal members, who still retain ownership of 70 allotments totaling 11,200 acres. These remaining allotments of the original 115 are located in Eastern Oregon approximately 20 miles east of the present day Burns Paiute Reservation. Total enrollment for the Burns Paiute Tribe is 300, governed by a seven-member Tribal Council. It has been approximately 127 years and the con-ditions of the allotments are in a state of degra-dation. According to recent observations by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) the land was once meadowlands containing many in-digenous species of plants. Today after being man-aged by the Bureau of Indian Affairs who approved grazing leases in 5 year increments, the land has been over grazed and contains species of plants that are not edible by domestic animals. As a result the Numu Allottees Association (NAA) has been formed by descendants of the original allottees. The main objective of NAA is to assist the Numu (Paiute language meaning “the People”) in deal-ing with the social injustice, effects of intergenera-tional trauma related to manifest injustices that the Numu have faced throughout history, such as acts of war, and the enactment of the Dawes Act. In October 2014, the NAA held a meeting at Fort Bidwell Indian Reservation of California. NAA reached out to the Intertribal Agriculture Council to present to the allottees. IAC, through the Tech-nical Assistance Program provided an outreach meeting to 20 descendants of the original owners of the Paiute PDA’s.

The BIA Superintendent and Fiduciary Trust Of-ficer/Field Operations/Office of Special Trustee from the Warm Springs Agency set a meeting with landowners. It was apparent the landowners were uninformed from the beginning about the leas-ing procedure. As the landowners began to speak about their experiences with the people who leased their lands, many grievances were heard, landowners were run off their own land, land was being used year round, grazed in the spring, hayed in the summer and pasturing horses all winter, all of these violations going on with the landowner feeling helpless and not knowing where to turn. Landowners were unaware they could simply write “owner in use” on the lease notices sent out from the BIA or that leases are bonded and the lessee is responsible for damage to the leased property or that fences, water developments, or any upgrades to the land can be written into their leases. It became apparent that the allottees required training on negotiation of leases and the proce-dures. They parties all agreed to a meeting on No-vember 18, 2018 prior to the next renewal period. When the parties reclaim their land, IAC technical support will assist them in seeking resources.

Keir Johnson is the Technical Assistance Specialist for the Pacific Region. He is an Osage Nation tribal member living in Northern California.

He has a background in education and outreach, as well as community sustainable agriculture. His personal focus is on Native cultural heirloom seed preservation and he is collaborating on the developmental stages of an inter-state tribal heirloom seed banking effort.

The translation to his passion for co-creating sustainable agricultural systems within Indian Country is several fold. He believes that at its core, agriculture is about relationships. These relationships encompass human to human and human to the systems of nature. He believes Native peoples’ rich and historical tradition of land management and sustainable food production can be drawn upon to address issues relating to sovereignty, financial resiliency, Native health, and overall community relations.

Keir’s commitment to working with youth is resounding. He believes that an important element of agriculture must include extending a hand to young people, and passing on rich traditions relating to Natives’ union with the land and waters. Keir feels that stimulating and perpetuating this very old intergenerational exchange is of critical importance to the future of Native ways.


Pacific Region HighlightsUntil June of 2014, California and Nevada were served through collaboration among TA staff from various regions. It became apparent, however, that there was a tremendous need within the 131 Federally Recognized Tribes in the region for IAC Technical Assistance. Keir Johnson accepted the position and has focused his initial efforts on a multi-faceted approach to outreach and education in Indian Country. Based out of Sacramento, California, Keir has established working relationships with national, state, and regional staff in FSA, NRCS, RD, RMA, APHIS, AMS, FSA, and the BIA. Outreach efforts to all 110 Federally Recognized Tribes in California, and several in Nevada, have introduced Tribes and producers to IAC, and afforded the opportunity to learn of needs that may be addressed through USDA programs.

IAC Pacific Region has collaborated with USDA Strike Force Nevada to address resource and infrastructure concerns with the Moapa Band of Paiutes and Fort McDermitt Paiute Shoshone Tribes. These efforts are only recently underway and several areas of need will require multi-year planning and development, which IAC Pacific Region will continue to contribute to.

In July of 2014, IAC entered into an agreement with NRCS California to provide New Farm Bill Information and Tribal Feedback sessions to Tribal members. Over twenty Tribes were represented at these events and received information on NRCS, FSA, RD, and RMA programming changes. A great deal of feedback was provided from Tribal officials that will help to direct future programming at the state level.

IAC Pacific Region has also partnered with the NRCS Native American Liaison in California, to establish the state’s Tribal Conservation Advisory Council that will further inform the State Technical Advisory Committee on issues of concern in Indian Country.

Tribal consultation visits have been a primary focus to become apprised of particular community needs that USDA programming may address. Tribal feedback has also indicated a need for reform in certain practices that will be given voice and addressed at the State level. In August, a presentation was given to the Mendocino/Sonoma/Lake Counties Tribal Environmental Programs Meeting regarding the formation of Tribal Conservation Districts (TCDs). IAC Technical information was provided along with the processes and functions of TCDs.

Most recently, a survey was provided to Tribal Environmental and Natural Resource Leads throughout the region to act as a planning tool and for solicitation of Tribal projects that are in need of USDA support for FY2015. IAC Pacific Region also helped to moderate the NRCS Working Effectively with American Indians Training in San Bernardino in early October.

Overall, many new relationships are forming among IAC, California and Nevada Tribes and producers, and regional and state USDA staff members intent on collaborating to best address the management and use of Native lands.


Anita Matt is the TA Specialist for the Eastern Montana area of the Rocky Mountain Region. She is an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe. Kole Fitzpatrick is the TA Specialist for the Rocky Mountain Region. He is a member of the Blackfoot Tribe. Kole serves on the Secretary of Agriculture’s Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers.


Outreach is Key Rocky Mountain TA, Anita Matt attended three key outreach meetings that lead to improved , facilitated by the local Lake County FSA office staff, the Tribes, Montana State FSA and IAC was held in April at Charlo, MT over 50 people attended and the meeting went very well. The content of our meeting was USDA programs. Attendees gave great praise to all of us sponsoring this event. The second success was the Rocky Mountain Intertribal Agriculture meeting held August 21-22, 2014 in Polson. There were 53 participants in this years event and we had 6 out of 9 Tribes represented at our regional meeting. Issues from each Tribe were discussed and recorded. Several individuals will be representing their Tribes for the Rocky Mountain IAC.

I think one of the greatest successes felt for outreach was the Farm Service Agency end of the year Policy Meeting held in Red Lodge. Outreach in Indian Country has came a long way in the past 15 years. The Technical Assistance staff traveled to Red Lodge, Montana to participate in a 3 day Policy Meeting sponsored by the Montana State FSA. It gives us opportunity to meet the staff and to update ourselves on the program changes. Each year the Technical staff are invited to participate. Thank you Montana State FSA. visit its food security


Microloan Program is a Good Start Van Four Souls is a member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe and resides in Rocky Boy, Montana with his wife and kids. Van was in-terested in starting his own cattle operation to become the third generation of cattle ranchers to be on his family land. He contact-ed IAC with interest in the Micro Loan program administered by the Farm Service Agency. We worked on the business planning of the project and cash flow for the number of cattle he wanted to buy. Van was eventually successful with his application and was able to buy 18 cows and 1 bull with his loan funds. He successfylly completed his first year in the program and is looking to build his herd even bigger. The Micro Loan program was a good fit in helping Van start his operation. It worked well as a starting point for success. He plans to apply the Direct Loan also administered by FSA. Van would also like to utilize NRCS with a few resource concerns he has on his ranch to aid in his aggressive plans for his operation.gardens and an invitation to First Lady Michelle Obama to visit its

Zachary Butleris the TA Specialist for the Southern Plains Region. He comes from the Bear clan on his Sac & Fox ancestry and the deer clan on his Shawnee ancestry. He is committed to providing any Tribe or Tribal member with technical assistance with the different USDA agencies and programs.

He received a Bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University in Agronomy (Soil Science).



Following In Mom’s FootstepsA past success story publication featured a story about a producer who lives in the far northeastern part of Oklahoma. We worked on a farm ownership loan to purchase more land that is adjacent to existing property. In the meantime, Syd took the next step and started the process of completing a FSA youth loan for her son, Shane. In just a matter of weeks, the loan was approved. He was awarded a Youth loan to purchase cattle. He has since purchased cattle and started his own operation. Shane has grown up with ranching all around him, regardless of where he called home; from the family ranch in South Dakota where he worked alongside his grandpa, Charlie Colombe; to the ranch of Stace Smith, PRCA Stock Contractor, where he worked alongside his dad, Joe Bell, Jr; to now where he has his own herd started in Oklahoma!

Shane has plans to continue growing his cattle herd and is not sure where that future will take him. But one thing he knows for sure is that his cattle will provide a future for him and his future looks bright.


Desbah Padilla provides outreach and technical assistance to twenty Pueblos and five Tribes in the Southwest region.

She grew up on her parents’ ranch at Bluewater Lake, New Mexico which instilled a passion for farming and ranching.

She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico in Environmental Planning and Design and currently resides in Albuquerque with her family.

10 Southern PueblosPueblo people have been farmers for thousands of years. Agriculture is an integral part of Pueblo culture and religion. Most Pueblo Tribal members grow traditional crops on irrigated land, and most Pueblo Tribes grow alfalfa and other feed crops. Pueblo people, however, derive minimal income from agriculture.

The Ten Southern Pueblos consisting of Acoma, Laguna, Isleta, Sandia, Santa Ana, San Felipe, Santo Domingo, Cochiti, Jemez and Zia; submitted a USDA RBEG grant for an Indian Food Hub plan to be constructed at the Pueblo of Acoma.

The Indian Food Hub plan is designed to take advantage of new and growing demand for local food that is part of the new food movement and the success of food hubs throughout the country. The goal is to provide an interface between Pueblo agriculture and local institutional, consumer and inter-tribal markets that will allow individual Pueblo farmers as well as Tribal farms options to increasingly commercialize Pueblo agriculture.

The need to develop a marketing plan came about because the Native American farmers found at the end of the growing season they usually had an abundance of produce that was not sold or utilized. A food hub will ideally offer a location where native producers can deliver their goods for processing and distribution to market.

In recognition of the innovation, USDA Rural Development State Directonner presented the certificate to the Acoma Business Enterprise during the ceremony held at the Southern Pueblos Council monthly meeting. “The Obama Administration is working hard to create economic opportunities in rural tribal communities,” Brunner said. “This strategic investment will help Native farmers find new markets for their products and offers a path to sustainable farming in the 21st century.”


Sedillo Cattle AssociationThe Pueblo of Laguna is located west of Albuquerque, New Mexico and includes six villages: Encinal, Laguna, Mesita, Paguate, Paraji and Seama. The total population of the Pueblo consists of 3,815 residents located on a reservation of approximately 500,000 acres. The Sedillo Cattle Association is a cooperative group of 26 ranchers made up of enrolled members of the Pueblo of Laguna operating on 97,000 acres. The Association has been utilizing federal funding sources made available from USDA for over 20 years. Several successful funding sources are from the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) such as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program. (CSP)In 2013, the Sedillo Cattle Association applied for a successful CSP grant and used the funds to purchase a trencher and a skidsteer and trailer. Funds were also used to improve the genetic quality of the cattle herd by replacing the entire bull selection and installing 4 new 10,000 gallon water storage facilities.

The Association is currently installing an additional 7.5 miles of waterlines, drinkers, storage facilities, as well as installing a solar and gas powered pumping plant that is capable of pumping water up significant grades and operating 24 hours a day. The expansion of the water systems has helped to utilize the grazing resources and allow the wildlife access to water. In addition to the water systems, the Association is planning on cross-fencing some of the larger pastures enabling the Association to increase the number of calves as well as better management of the entire herd. Another improvement is the conversion of windmills to solar power that will decrease costs for servicing and maintaining the old wells. Through the use of USDA funding, significant improvements have been made. The Sedillo Cattle Association continues to improve the cattle operation and to protect the natural resources for future generations and would like to encourage all Native Tribes to take advantage of USDA funding opportunities.

Teresa Honga Teresa Honga resides on the Hualapai Reservation in Northwestern Arizona. She is from the Hopi, Northern Ute and Omaha Tribes. Teresa has gained experience working for other organizations since 2010, delivering USDA Outreach to Native American Farmers and Ranchers on the Hualapai Reservation and working with the local Tribal Conservation District. She has also worked as an employee with the Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Program helping with educational programming with Hualapai Ranchers. She partners with her husband in their cattle operation on the Hualapai Reservation and has gained insight from a producer’s point of view as to the need for USDA programs in Indian Country.


Western Region HighlightsIn June 2014 the Western region TA began conducting tribal outreach in Arizona delivering information on IAC and USDA Programs. From these initial outreach efforts, additional meetings took place with tribal producers and branches of tribal government where NRCS, RD, FSA and IAC provided program information. Participants voiced their concerns, needs and goals and planning processes began. With FSA’s Livestock Forage Program, cattle producers from the San Carlos Apache Reservation and the Yavapai Prescott Indian Tribe (tribal herd) have begun the application process.

From June to October on the Hualapai Reservation in Northwestern Arizona, FSA has set up office once a month at the Hualapai Department of Natural Resource to take LFP applications from cattle producers. IAC’s TA visited most of the cattle producers on Hualapai doing one on one outreach. Teresa found that many didn’t understand what the Livestock Forage Program was about and some were a bit reluctant to apply with FSA due to a past negative experience. During this period 33 out of 40 livestock producers applied for the LFP Program with all 33 applications successful.

In September, IAC Western Region, Utah Division of Indian Affairs, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, Rural Assistance Corporation, NRCS, FSA, Regional Strike Force Coordinator, Office of the Secretary were invited to meet with the Utah State Director, USDA, Rural Development for a Strike Force Team Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. As partners we can do more in reducing poverty and implementing successful community and economic development programs by developing strong working relationships between state and federal agencies, local and tribal governments and nonprofit organizations. Ideas were shared on how we could work more effectively by leveraging resources and collaborating on creating economic opportunities on Tribal Lands in Utah.


Zach Ducheneaux, Program [email protected] Schrempp, Program [email protected]

ALASKADave Monture – Kodiak, [email protected]

Dorothy Shockley – Fairbanks, [email protected]

EASTERN OKLAHOMASteven Bond – Stratford, [email protected]

GREAT PLAINSAdam Schuchhardt – Eagle Butte, South [email protected]

MIDWESTDaniel Cornelius – Madison, [email protected]

NAVAJO Danielle Notah – Tohatchi, New [email protected]

NORTHWESTKatherine Goodluck – Pendleton, [email protected]

Mike Shellenberger – Zillah, [email protected]

PACIFICKeir Johnson - Sacremento, [email protected](916) 995-3209

ROCKY MOUNTAIN Kole Fitzpatrick – Browning, [email protected]

Anita Matt – Moiese, [email protected]

SOUTHERN PLAINSZachary Butler – Meeker, Oklahomazbutler@ IndianAgLink.com405-747-7665

SOUTHWEST Desbah Padilla – Albuquerque, New [email protected]

WESTERNTeresa Honga - Valentine, [email protected](928) 302-6835

Members or other interested parties who would like to discuss Network operations, seek assistance in improving Indian Agriculture, or who need the assistance of the Network, are encouraged to call or contact the Technical Assistance Specialist near you or the TA office.

Intertribal Agriculture Council – Technical Assistance ProgramPO Box 430, Eagle Butte SD 57625 - Phone: 605-964-8320

www.IndianAgLink.com www.IACtechhelp.com

Youth and The Food Sovereignty Continuum - it IS all about that Ag! IAC’s 28th Annual Membership Meeting in Las Vegas was held in December, 2014. Seeing the youth as the suc-cessors and caretakers of our Agricultural future the IAC took a proactive approach to the development and con-tinued involvement of our native youth in Ranching and Farming. As a positive step in the is direction a successful “youth focused component” was held along side the general meeting. The youth were provided information and materials on financing, personal development, agriculture as well as many other topics. In addition to the educational material provided the youth were involved in the production of a music video that will be used for marketing and promotion to continue the involvement of our Native youth in Agriculture. The video can be found on YouTube called It’s All About That Ag.

Documents

2015 Success Story Publication