2018/19 Project
Eugene to the Dakotas
The Growing Resilience Project is bringing volunteers, plant starts, seeds, books, and gardening tools and supplies to tribal community groups that grow food for people living in the Standing Rock, Pine Ridge, Lower Brule, Cheyenne River, and Rosebud reservations. Willing volunteers will also stay for a time and help the people plant their own food and medicine, or work on other sustainability projects.
Volunteers and supplies needed! See lists below
Lakota reservations are extreme food deserts. The people have little to no access to fresh vegetables, or to any type of natural, organic, or non-GMO foods. Herbal medicines are equally hard to come by. The highest rates of life-threatening health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, and the lowest life expectancy, are on these Lakota reservations. Many of these conditions are preventable by having access to better food.
Supplies needed:
- – Gardening tools: hoes, shovels, rakes, whatever is good for gardening
- – Plant starts and seeds
- – Gardening books and magazines
- – Organic fertilizers and soil amendments
- – Smart pots or raised beds (which can be transported in a small space)
- – Watering and irrigation supplies
- – Greenhouse supplies
- – Gift Cards for Lowe’s and Walmart (few other stores in the area sell garden supplies)
- – Cash for travel expenses and for purchasing items too heavy/unwieldy for transport (such as straw, soil, fertilizer, etc.)
Volunteers needed:
Going to the Reservation:
- – You need to be self sufficient (some sites will feed and house you in rustic conditions)
- – You need to have permaculture and gardening experience or be willing work under direction
- – You need to be willing to drive to the Dakotas and live there for a few days to a few weeks to help people get gardens established
Local:
- – Eugene-area volunteers willing to pick up and prepare supplies for transport to the Reservations
Virtual and Elsewhere:
- – Volunteers to work on virtual projects such as this site, social media, etc.
- – Volunteers to organize runs from Oregon to the Community Centers
- – Volunteers to help create fundraisers and awareness campaigns
- – Grant writers and board members
Do you need supplies or volunteers for your site? Please complete and submit this form.
2018 Project
Food Grows Community Inter-generational Project
In partnership with Reality Kitchen, a free organic lunch for River Road neighborhood elders and guests while interacting with each other and the Reality Kitchen students. Michael Vasquez has planted a large organic garden on donated land in the neighborhood to produce food for the weekly lunches. Volunteers from across the community gather and contribute time and talents to harvest and help prepare food.
This project increases neighborhood social capital and caring. The convergence of organic food grown within a few miles, together with enthusiastic volunteers and young adults in conversation with elders, has created a lively and growing community worlds away from institutionalized free lunch programs.
For more information, go here.