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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (July 24, 2013)
July 24, 2013 Spilyay Tymoo, Wgrrn Springs, Oregon Pqge 2 Encouraging first harvest for tribal farm T h e tribal farm had its first harvest in July. T he first crop was grain hay. This is a good crop to start with, as the ground is being reclaimed for farming, said Zane Wilson, farm man ager. Wilson and the farm crew o f about six work un der the Branch o f N atural Resources. The start-up funding for the tribal farm came from restoration money. The im mediate goal o f the farm is to become a self-sustaining operation, said Jason Smith, Range and Ag manager with the-B ranch o f N atural Re sources.' There are two areas that will be farmed: the Moody farm and the middle Warm Springs farm. The farm team began its initial w ork a t the M oody farm, but then switched to the m iddle W arm Springs farm, located by the Warm Springs River near the Kah- Nee-Ta golf course. The middle Warm Springs property was closer to being ready for a crop, Wilson ex plained during an update at Tribal Council last week. The middle Warm Springs site al ready had irrigation and a power system, and had been m ore recently farm ed, he said. Photos courtesy<pf Zane Wilson Earlier this month the middle Warm Springs farm saw a harvest of several tons of grain hay. The Moody farm will re quire installation o f four wa ter pivots. The middle Warm Springs required just one cen ter pivot. The farm team has been acquiring various pieces o f farm equipment, such as trac tors, land-levelling equipment, a seed drill, pumps, the piv ots, etc. They made the first Schoenberg property p lan t this spring and h ar vested in early July. T h e g rain hay h a rv e st yielded several tons. T his crop helps to restore the land and eliminate weeds, Wilson said. Potential future crops include vegetable seed, grass seed, flower seed, and grain seed. New to Warm Springs - the Txtaimat Pama Outdoor Market By Chris Watson Warm, Springs Community Action Team Have you ever wanted to find a regular and easy out let to sell the fish that you catch, the berries you pick, Or the vegetables you grow? D o you have bee hives that are making more honey than you know w hat to do with, or chickens that are lay ing more eggs than you can use? Are you skilled at paint ing, beadwork, weaving, or knitting, and w ant a venue where you can sell the items you make? I f you’ve answered yes to any o f these questions, there is a place in th e W arm Springs com m unity where you can sell the things you are producing. It’s called the W arm S prings T x ta im a t Pama O utdoor Market, and it happens in Warm Springs every Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. O r, perhaps you are inter ested in buying the types o f products mentioned above, in supporting local entrepre neurs, in keeping your dol- ! lars working at home, invest ing in y our com m unity, boosting community pride, i and helping to preserve the unique character o f the place you live. I f any o f these are true, j consider visiting the Txtaimat Pama, building relationships w ith the m erchants at the ; market, and purchasing the item s you need and want. You may even save a few dollars on travel costs. In 1994, according to the U.S. D epartm ent o f Agricul ture, there were 1,755 farm ers m arkets in the U nited States. By 2012, that num-. b e r had p io re th a n q u a drupled, to 7,864 farm ers markets nationwide. O n hundreds o f Indian reservations, tribal commu nities have discovered the benefits o f farmers markets. O n the Isabella Reserva tion in Central Michigan, the Saginaw Chippewa T ribe’s Native Farmers Market now provides fresh seasonal and locally grown produce to the community, as well as honey, maple syrup, wild rice, and fresh fish. In Green Bay, Wisconsin, the Oneida N ation’s Farm ers Market brings together 49 vendors every Thursday, serving as a gathering place for community members to buy fresh food, earn vital in co m e, an d m eet w ith friends, family members, and other acquaintances. F ro m A laskan villages and Native Hawaiian com munities to the 39 tribes o f Oklahoma, from Wind River to Pine Ridge to Santa Fe, Native people are becoming m ore involved in farm ers m ark ets, selling produce', value-added foods, native crafts, and o th er products that people need and want in their communities. In many studies, farmers markets have been shown to increase tribal communities’ access to healthy, affordable produce while providing eco nomic development oppor tunities for tribal community m em b ers (o fte n farm ers an d a rtists) and intergenerational entrepre neu rial lesso n s fo r trib al youth. M o reo v er, th ey have been shown to give people a social setting in which to ex change goods, services, ideas, and social capital. In this sp irit, th e W arm Springs C om m unity A ction Team (WSCAT) began the Warm Springs Txtaimat Pama O ut door Market. O n June 21, the Txtaimat Pama. opened for the first time, with a celebratory bar becue, attended by over 200 community members, under the trees and on the lawn o f the Warm Springs campus. middle Warm Springs farms, that could become produc tive farm. land. Natural Resources general manager Bobby Brunoe said the amount«of farm land on the reservation is very limited. The soil is different from that o f th e A gency and L ittle Agency plains, for instance. Councilman Carlos Smith said the tribes should look at entering the winery business, as the soil on the reservation could be suited for growing grape vines. O ther tribes are entering this business, he said. C ouncilw om an E valine Patt asked about tribal em ployment at the farms. Wil son said this year at times there were up to 30 people working on the farms. This w ould include the fencing work. N ext year there should be at least two additional full time employees in positions lasting about eight months o f the year. In the first five weeks o f th e m ark et, five v e n d o rs have sold products, though only two have been regular vendors'. In the early stages o f the m arket, acco rd in g to Val Squiemphen, the Txtaim at P am a O u td o o r M ark et M anager, the C om m unity A ction Team “is expecting three to five vendors p er week, but we think that num ber will grow as more people learn about the market.” A c c o rd in g to L o n n ie James, WSCAT’s Executive Director, the organization “is committed to the growth and long-term sustainability o f the market, and to working w ith v en d o rs, com m unity members, and organizations to expand the market; bring together a co h o rt of food growers, value-added produc ers, and craftspeople inter ested in participating; and cre ate the kind o f w eeklyevent that tribal members and oth ers in nearby area will attend regularly.” In time, WSCAT staff be lieve, the m arket will serve as a place where people and vendors from the com m u nity can come, relax, spend time together, support one another’s businesses, and pur chase an array o f useful, quality products. T h ey b eliev e th a t th e market’s location, right off o f Highway 26, will also attract tourists and passers-by, and are excited about the imme diate and long,term potential benefit to the Warm Springs community. During the Council update, Councilman Kahseuss Jack- son asked w hether there is more acreage on the reserva tion, besides the Moody and Councilman Carlos Smith suggested that N atural Re sources develop some poten tial uses for the Schoenberg property, tribally-owned acre age located at the Pelton turn o ff by Highway 26. T here must be some way to p ut the property to productive usé, he said. H ig h j g Lookee Lod A s s is t e d L iv in g L a c ilit y 2321 O llgllie U ne (PO Box 6) VV^rm springs, OR 97761 Call 541-553-1182 Madras Campus UPCOMING for the month ahead G etting Started Sessions Madras Campus - Tuesdays 5:30 p.m. in room 116 July 23 August 6, 20 For More Info: 5 4 1 .5 5 0 .4 1 0 0 www.cocc.edu Financial Aid workshops Madras Campus - Wednesdays 1:00 p.m. in room 120 July 24 August 14 ¿5 In advance o f College events, persons needing accommodation or transportation because o f a physical or m obility disability, contact Joe Viola: 541.383.7775. For accommodation because o f « h e r disability such as bearing impairment, contact Annie W alker 541.383.7743. Ï
