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.
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