Green Thumbs near Green Bay: Menominee Tribe Cultivates Nutrition Education

From USDA:

Posted by Lindsay Walle, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Food Distribution Division, on December 5, 2014 at 10:00 AM

Participants in the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin’s monthly cooking class sample the new recipes they learned to prepare, cereal treats with wheat bran flakes and zippy zucchini salad. USDA Photo by Bob Nichols.

Cooking knowledge, proper planning, and access to healthy foods are essential ingredients to healthy diets.  I witnessed this firsthand when I traveled to the food distribution center of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, one of the 20 Indian Tribal Organizations that received funding in 2014 from USDA’s Food Distribution Program Nutrition Education (FDPNE) grants.  Their programs offer cooking classes, recipes, nutrition education and resources for Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) participants as well as manage a community garden program which provides fresh fruits and vegetables for tribal members.

Creativity and partnerships allow the Menominee’s innovative educational activities to serve as a shining example of best practices.  A monthly cooking class combines instruction about basic cooking and food safety with interactive games and hands-on recipe preparation.  The class is a joint venture among FDPIR, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Community Resources Center, and the University of Wisconsin-Extension.

The day my colleagues and I visited, the lesson theme focused on eating away from home.  Attendees shared reasons they eat out, such as celebrations, convenience, or camaraderie.  A scenario game prompted participants to consider how the interrelated factors of time, money, nutritional value, and social pressure influence their decision-making.  After brainstorming strategies to better manage and plan ahead for everyday challenges, the class transitioned to the kitchen area to learn how to prepare zippy zucchini salad and cereal treats with wheat bran flakes.

Gardening is very popular among the Menominee.  The food distribution center maintains a community garden as well as raised beds that provide fresh produce – from bok choy to snow peas – to clients.  The tribe also seeks to bring gardening home to its members.  Using FDPNE grant funds, staff members have the resources available to rototill plots of land, distribute seeds and gardening tools, and build raised planting beds for the elderly and those with disabilities.

Canning classes go beyond traditional jams and jellies.  These classes enable participants to enjoy local produce, such as apples and tomatoes, year-round.  Everyone goes home not only with new skills and ideas but also with a portion of the session’s products.

In addition to the cooking and canning classes, nutrition educators conduct monthly tastings and present “learn while you wait” visuals to clients coming in to pick up their FDPIR food packages.  Resource management, making ends meet, and the tendency to think one day at a time rather than long-term are struggles Jennifer Gauthier of UW-Extension witnesses with her clients.  By providing strategies to eat both affordably and healthily, the Menominee’s nutrition education programs are making a difference, one household at a time.

An attendee of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin’s cooking class prepares a zippy zucchini salad recipe using zucchini from the garden at the food distribution center. USDA Photo by Bob Nichols.

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Talks Importance of New Farmers at Tribal Food Sovereignty Summit in Wisconsin

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Stan Gruszynski, USDA Rural Development Wisconsin State Director, on April 24, 2014 at 3:00 PM

Agriculture Deputy Krysta Harden speaks to a Menominee Tribal biology class in Green Bay, WI on Tuesday, Apr. 15, 2014. USDA photo.

This month’s Midwest tribal forum brought together USDA state and national officials, including Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden, to promote the growth of healthy food systems for Native Americans. The annual Food Sovereignty Summit was held at the Oneida Nation in Green Bay, Wis.

Deputy Secretary Harden’s speech to attendees of the summit focused on the implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill. She said that young people need to be encouraged to make a living off the land. She also told the tribal community that USDA is here to assist and that we have a common goal of feeding the next generation. Deputy Secretary Harden is particularly focused on providing resources for new farmers and Native Americans well into the future.

To mark the importance of this summit, Deputy Secretary Harden, accompanied by USDA Director of Tribal Relations Leslie Wheelock, an enrolled member of the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, visited with representatives of the Oneida and Menomonie Nations. They witnessed firsthand the tribe’s efforts to promote the production and consumption of traditional, healthy foods.

While in Wisconsin, Deputy Secretary Harden received a tour of Oneida’s food distribution program, which, through USDA, supports over 230 Native families. She also stopped by the cannery and later met with staff and students of the College of Menominee Nation.

“It was an honor and privilege to have Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden visit the Oneida Reservation and attend the Food Sovereignty Summit.  Together we discussed the need to reconnect with the land so that we can achieve the best use of the land and agriculture in addressing the problems we face. I appreciate how she understands that the land can fulfill our needs – health and well-being, economic and business growth – while maintaining our culture,” said Gregory H. Matson, Vice Chairman of the Oneida Tribe.

Before Deputy Secretary Harden spoke at the Food Sovereignty Summit, she toured the Wayside Dairy Farm in Greenleaf, Wis., a multi-generational farm run by Dan Natzke and his family.  The dairy utilizes programs through both the Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service. The 151 year-old farm is now in its fifth generation of operation.

Deputy Secretary Harden’s message on the importance of new farmers, especially in the tribal community, really resonated with the group. We were proud to host her and look forward to her return to the Badger State!

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden walks through the Wayside Dairy barn with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) agent John Malviltz and owner Dan Natzke in Wisconsin on Tuesday, Apr. 15, 2014. USDA photo.