Website: www.fdlrez.com/planning/projects.htm
Point of Contact: Jason Hollinday
E-mail Address: jasonhollinday@fdlrez.com
Region: Midwest Region,
Type of Organization: Tribe or Tribal department/organization,
Fond Du Lac Gitigaan (Garden) Program
For over twenty years, the Fond du Lac Gitigaan Program has provided plants, seeds, and training to the Fond du Lac community. The program started as a partnership with the University of Minnesota Extension Program. When funding ran out, the Fond du Lac Band took full ownership of the program. The Gitigaan program continues to be an integral part of the Band’s Food Sovereignty Initiative and serves community members by holding classes related to growing, harvesting and preparing foods, tilling gardens and distributing plants and seeds to the community. The program provides more than 140 households with 27 various organic seeds, as well as 19 types of plants. In 2019, Gitigaan started a demonstration garden to gauge how much produce the program yields for families in the community (over 600 lbs of produce was harvested in 2019). All produce is given to community members and prepared for the end of season feast.
Population Served: Tribal community or community members
Scope of Work: Increases healthy food, Increases access to traditional food, Builds wealth within the tribal community, Develops skills and opportunities for tribal community members, Improves viability of local agriculture, Improves policies that promote healthy food and healthy communities, Provides nutrition education to community members, Improves health outcomes for community members, Builds community assets