Administration invests $62.8M in tribal agriculture and food sovereignty

Jun 06, 2024

USDA announces major funding and programs to support tribal nations and indigenous foods

By Farms.com

The Administration is making significant investments to strengthen Tribal food sovereignty and agriculture through a $62.8 million initiative announced by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. This initiative encompasses several programs and funding opportunities to support Tribal Nations.

The Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program is awarding over $42 million to eight Tribal Nations.

This funding will help expand processing opportunities for animals native to North America, such as bison and salmon. Key recipients include the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the Passamaquoddy Tribe, and the Ponca Tribe.

Additionally, $18 million is being invested in 23 projects under the Tribal Forest Protection Act. These projects focus on reducing hazardous fuels, restoring watersheds, and incorporating Indigenous knowledge into sustainable land management.

Notable projects include the Keex'Kwaan Community Forest Partnership and the Rio Chama Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program.

USDA is also awarding $2.3 million to support the inclusion of Indigenous foods in school meal programs.

Organizations like the Wind River Food Sovereignty project and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement will receive grants to increase access to traditional Indigenous foods in schools and provide relevant nutrition education.

USDA is launching a new Tribal agriculture internship program. Through the Future Leaders in Public Service Internship Program, 14 students will gain hands-on experience in USDA programs benefiting Indian Country.

This program aims to cultivate a new generation of agricultural professionals well-versed in Tribal food and agriculture issues.

USDA will conduct its first-ever international trade mission focused on Tribal Nation and Native Hawaiian Community businesses. This mission, set to take place in Canada, will showcase Tribal agribusinesses to prospective buyers, enhancing market opportunities.

Video: Learning to Wrench From Dad the Hard Way

Harvest is a week out and the farm picked this week to fall apart. The truck needs a battery, the barn curtain's got a problem, and the corn and beans are telling us we're out of time to get it all fixed.

So it's a full day of wrenching. Tork supervises while I get the truck back running, then we're out at the hog barn where one rusted up part has the whole curtain system hung up. Ladder work, cable work, and a little dad-and-son disagreement about the right way to do it. We close it out walking the fields, shelling beans and checking corn, because whether everything's fixed or not, harvest starts when harvest starts.

Chapters: 00:00 Everything breaks the week before harvest 01:00 Tork supervises while I fix the truck 12:30 Out to the barn to find the curtain problem 14:30 One rusty part hung up the whole curtain 20:00 Running the curtain cable from the ladder 24:00 Walking the beans and corn before harvest 26:30 Wrapping up

We're a 6th generation family farm in southeast Iowa showing the real ups and downs of pig farming and row crop farming. No script, just the work. Subscribe and follow along.

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