A pilot program called Gardens for Elders aims to help elders within the Menominee Tribe grow fresh, healthy foods within their own yards, with the help of youth within the community.
John Teller Sr., associate dean of continuing education at College of Menominee Nation, is coordinating the effort.
CMN received a $25,000 grant from First Nations Development Institute of Longmont, Colorado, to support the project. The money was used to help develop 12 gardens: 11 at homes and one community garden in Neopit.
Ten of the gardens are raised to make it easier for the elderly. All the clients are 55 and older.
“We did a new style of gardening,” Teller said.
The garden boxes are 8 feet by 4 feet and 2 feet high. Rotting logs form the base, covered with wood chips, leaves and dirt. They’ve been planted with seeds and starter plants, and fertilized organically.
“We implemented some modern techniques,” Teller said. “They were a little skeptical at first of the new way of doing it.”
Sarah Tuori, Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) worker, will be in the county for a year to help with the project. A graduate of Western Washington University in geographic food security, she is a garden expert and will be coordinating several other projects as well.
“They look great,” she said. “I’m surprised how well they’re doing.”
Menominee Indian High School freshman Alonzo Haack, 15, is one of two garden assistants who help weed and water.
“I like it,” Haack said. “It keeps me busy and it’s fun.”
The clients include a 90-year-old woman who wanted a regular garden, not raised, because she had already composted the soil.
“We help her,” Teller said.
Now that the plants are all up, the workers have added mulch to keep the weeds down and to hold in moisture.
“In the fall we want to have a harvest feast — a boiled dinner,” Teller said.
So far the gardens seem to be working out very well and Teller hopes to continue them.
“Whether we get funded or not, we’d like to keep it going,” he said.
Gardens for Elders also is experimenting with shade gardens in the woods by the college.
For more information, call 715-799-6226, ext. 3115.
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