Bimaaji’idiwin Gitigaaning Producer Training Program and Manoomin hull Research

The sole objective of the PTP is to provide access and education for Fond du Lac community members to become engaged in growing, cultivating, and harvesting nutritious food, and creating a sovereign, holistic food system rooted in Anishinaabe values that is environmentally responsible and empowers a thriving, resilient community. This intention is embedded in our approach.

Over the last three years, we have built a program that provides training, connection with regional farmers, and access to land for community members to learn organic farming principles. Our proposal will build on this program to support successful expansion of Native American owned agricultural businesses. We will continue working directly with farmers outside of Fond du Lac Reservation to host mentors for our Indigenous led PTP. It is through our deep understanding that cultivation and education come first, that our producers will be able to leverage their knowledge to meet the needs of their families, creating a more resilient community. Our producers and partners benefit in a multitude of ways, whether it’s through knowledge exchange, cross promotion of farming businesses, or expanding theunderstanding of size, scale, and organic practices of local farms.

Our project will provide classes once a week from February to September on subjects such as: soil health, cover crops, crop diversity, organic transition methods, integrated pest management, foodand farm safety training, orchard management, seed saving, marketing and value-added productsand a variety of others depending on the farmer’s needs. With funding support, we will incorporate mindfulness classes into our curricula; promoting resilient, holistic and healthy practices for the whole family. We will offer wellness classes throughout the season in which participants are encouraged to bring their family, breathing exercises, and mindful eating practices. Additionally, inthe spring, land is prepped via soil testing and amendments, and segmented into 1/16-1/4-acre plots for each producer. During this time, John Fisher Merritt of Food Farm and the project coordinator Erika Reséndiz will be available for guidance and help for producers as they plant their plot sections. During the growing season the program will host hands-on expert led lectures and trainings on site atGitigaaning and Na’enimonigamig Kitchen/Cannery. These hands-on trainings include how to use equipment (ex. tractors and tillers) and growing methods to model successful organic growingtechniques. Our program is looking to use Fond du Lac Na’enimonigamig to encourage ourparticipants to prepare produce, practice healthy eating and preserving, and act as an extension to the growing season in its root cellar and walk-in freezer.

During our first year of funding, we would like to expand education and science-based research opportunities for our community members. We believe Gitigaaning offers a unique opportunity to research the effectiveness and impact of using wild rice hulls as mulch on cultivated crops. In partnership with Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College (FDLTCC) research students we will answer questions on the impact of wild rice hulls (a biproduct of harvest) on water conservation and retention, and weed suppression. With the cooperation of PTP participants we will conduct both in situ and lab-controlled experiments on wild rice hull mulch on both crops and the surrounding land. Some questions that we would like to answer:

• Is wild rice mulch an effective method of retaining soil moisture?
• How does wild rice mulch contribute to weed suppression?

Our second and third years of funding will continue current research to ensure the efficacy of our results and will also focus on building relationships with the new Fond du Lac Agriculture Division to continue providing land access and education materials to Native producers. As the Producer Training Program enters its fourth year, we understand the value of diversifying the narrative. Our program will send our producers to conferences such as the Emerging Farmers Conference, Inter-Tribal Agriculture Summit, and the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service conference; we will organize regional and statewide farm tours to connect experienced and beginning farmers, the program coordinator and farm mentor will lead one on one consultations with producers, connecting them with resources and support based on their specific needs. With this expansion comes the need for more educators, electronic resources, and materials to provide effective outreach.

During the 2022-2023 research year we started the process by meeting the Producer Training Program participants during their February 2023 Orientation meeting. During this meeting we gauged interest in participating in the research project, specifically who would allow us to take plot measurements during the growing season. We also listened to the observations of the producers that have used rice hulls in previous growing seasons and their experiences with using the rice hulls in the field at Gitigaaning Farm. Taking their input we drafted protocols for measuring soil moisture and weed suppression on garden plots both in our new FDLTCC High Tunnel and at producer plots at Gitigaaning Farm. In Spring and Summer of 2023 the Research Team built eight raised beds in the FDLTCC High Tunnel to set up the experimental design. Our research team visited the Gitigaaning Farm to look at the intersections between growing conditions and the vegetables grown in situ. We are trying to replicate as much as possible potential conditions in our raised beds that our producers would encounter at the Gitigaaning Farm.  I have attached our protocols and photos of the infrastructure built in the spring and summer of 2023.

2024 Draft Rice Hull Protocols