The committee dedicated to restoring the tradition of gardening among the Menominee Tribe anticipates a busy fall and winter.
The Community Garden Committee, formed from a Menominee Tribal Community Action Board initiative launched in 2008, is preparing for the garden’s grand opening next spring.
Over the next few months, the committee will be adding compost to the garden, mulching, staking out plots, and developing the garden rules and guidelines. The garden will be open to all residents of Menominee County.
Committee members say the community is eagerly anticipating the garden’s debut.
“Community response has been excellent,” said Pat Gwidt, who became involved with the committee through the Wisconsin Master Gardener program. “Many community members that I have spoken to are so excited about having a community garden.”
When the garden opens, it will be the culmination of several years of work that began in 2008 when Jamie Scott, a senior research specialist with the University of Wisconsin’s Department of Family Medicine, began a study with the tribe of health risk factors affecting the Menominee people.
Scott, who served as a facilitator for the Community Action Board, invited the community to participate as the CAB brought together Menominee Tribal agencies, community members and guest experts to look at environmental factors affecting healthy lifestyle choices. Through the CAB, community members brainstormed and prioritized their community’s unique environmental “supports” (things that exist and enable community members to make healthy nutrition and physical activity choices) and “barriers” (issues that hinder people from eating healthier foods and exercising more).
Through the work of the CAB, the community developed a broad vision for addressing residents’ needs. Elements of the long-term plan include fostering local food production, sustainability, permaculture and biodynamic agriculture, communitywide composting, green/hoop houses, a teaching and community kitchen, farm-to-school programs, school gardens and curriculum, summer school programs with a gardening/farm market component, a community orchard, community-supported agriculture, farmers markets, and more.
At that time, due to lack of a grocery store in the community, the CAB’s top priority was increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables, leading to formation of the Community Garden Committee.
The committee identified key criteria for the garden site: duration of sunlight on the ground over the course of spring and summer, access to water, access to the community and the surrounding landscape.
Over the last four years, the committee looked far and wide for an available, suitable piece of land for development as a community garden. The Tribal Community Development Office identified several pieces of trust land as potential sites. The committee looked at land in Middle Village and various spots around Keshena, as well as sites identified by the county.
Until this past summer, none of the sites was considered adequate. Committee members ultimately selected a parcel of county land, about 100 feet by 45 feet, at the intersection of Weso and Our Children’s roads in Keshena. The committee hopes to establish about 30 garden plots on the property.
The committee still has much work to do, however, before the first seeds are planted in spring.
Peter Waupoose said he became involved in the planning of the community garden because he enjoys gardening, feels that gardening as a family is important, and believes the project will be a great benefit to the community.
“I have heard a lot of positive feedback from community members being excited about having a place of their own to grow fruits and vegetables,” Waupoose said.
The Community Garden Committee consists of Gwidt, community member at large; Waupoose, Mary Knope, Pat Roberts, from Menominee Food Distribution; and Karen Vermillion, University of Wisconsin-Extension.
Categories
