Browsing by Author "Wilsey, David"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Food Quality and Availability: Diversity in a Tribal Food System
    (University of Minnesota Extension, 2012-10) Newman, Dawn; Wilsey, David; Beaulieu, Susan
    Diversity relates to the audiences reached through Extension outreach and teaching, but also applies to program approach and focus. Our work with the Fond du Lac Band addresses the critical issue of food quality and availability through an inclusive understanding of a tribal food system and an approach that features numerous and different strategies. The Ojibwe term “gitigaan” translates as garden but encompasses both food procurement and production, through gathering and cultivation. The Thirteen Moons program focuses on seasonal natural resource activities such as maple sugaring, wild edible greens and fruits, wild rice, hunting, and trapping. The Ojibwe Garden program centers upon a working demonstration garden that features Ojibwe cultivars and production systems, as well as contemporary food crops. In 2011, these programs came together to support the first Tribal Master Gardener cohort. This cohort links to a third food production effort, a youth garden developed under the 4-H Tribal Youth Mentoring program. The term diversity captures much of the collective strength of these interrelated efforts: a partnership with an underserved community, a multifaceted understanding of food systems that goes beyond conventional crops, and a diverse set of approaches that targets different knowledge systems, generations, cultural practices, and skills. The importance of such an approach is underscored by the erratic and sometimes catastrophic weather events of the current year – including an early winter to spring transition, flooding, and drought – and, in particular, the negative impacts of these events on various food sources.
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    The Gwayakosijigan (Compass) Project: A food system mapping collaboration of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and University of Minnesota Extension
    (2013) Walsh, Amy; Hamid, Saleema; Wilsey, David
    In recent years, Native American communities in Minnesota have rallied around the widespread, societal health challenges of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Native communities recognize the rapid and alarming ascendance of these ailments -- which generally afflict Native communities at a greater proportion than the general population -- as an affront to some of the communities’ strongest cultural institutions and, in some cases, as another trauma resulting from the incursion of non-Native ways of being. Tribal nutrition programs promote healthy food knowledge and preparation; garden programs encourage and support healthy food production; and community members employ varied means to showcase traditional food practices for staple foods central to cultural identity. These and other interventions to improve nutritional knowledge, cooking skills, and access to healthy foods have met with varying degrees of success, making next steps difficult to ascertain. This study was designed improve understanding the factors that play into individual food related decisions and behaviors; its purpose to inform future community-scale interventions related to health and food systems. We led participants through a process of making personal food system maps and then followed up with those individuals to discuss their food-related actions and decisions. We learned that participants perceived that they were generally able to make decisions about food as they wished. Many participants emphasized the importance of natural, wild food sources and food procurement strategies as invaluable means to connect with nature, family, friends, and culture. Social and family networks were active when tangible or financial resources were limited. Indeed, for those who felt limited in their food decisions, financial constraints posed the greatest barrier, followed by constraints related to owned assets, such as food preparation equipment or vehicles. Moreover, grief, loss, and other life stresses often interfered with individual’s ability to strategize and adapt to financial or other limitations. Our preliminary results suggest several key directions for future inquiry and programming. This study was based on participant’s perceptions; future assessment should strive to determine whether community members’ desired food choices are, in fact, healthy. Also, relatively high availability of healthy foods in the area suggests that creation of new food access venues is unlikely to change eating habits without additional, related interventions. Finally, participant comments suggest that culturally relevant food production and procurement represent a feasible frame for food and nutrition education and that major life phase changes offer opportunities for accessing interested community members.
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    Making Connections and Producing Results: The Woodland Advisor Program
    (St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension Service, 2009-10) Baughman, Mel; Geissler, John; Gupta, Angela; Miedtke, Julie; Reichenbach, Michael Russ; Sagor, Eli; Wilsey, David; Wyatt, Gary; Zamora, Diomy
    The Woodland Advisor Program is an educational program for private forest landowners. In 2003, changes were made to the program allowing landowners to register for any or all of the 10 core classes or electives rather than commit to three or four weekend sessions. Some of the most popular topics include invasive species, property and income taxes, GPS, trail design, tree identification and non-timber forest products. Over 75 local landowner workshops were held through this program in 2008. Program graduates complete 10 core and five elective classes to become Woodland Advisor Volunteers. These volunteers help their neighbors learn about options and opportunities for their forestland. A concept map of the Woodland Advisor Program will be used to show the networks created as a result of this program. The key elements of the program include strategic planning, tactical planning, curriculum development, marketing, budgeting, external relations, class offerings, volunteer management and evaluation. The Woodland Advisor Program is a partnership between University of Minnesota Extension, Minnesota Forestry Association, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and Soil and Water Conservation Districts and other local partners.
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    Minnesota Harvester Handbook, First Edition
    (University of Minnesota Extension, 2013) Wilsey, David; Miedtke, Julie
    This resource -- developed by the University of Minnesota Extension with the help of a broad network of contributors -- demonstrates the breadth and diversity of useful natural resources found in and around the state's woodlands and forests throughout the year. Book features information divided into seasons: Spring (maple syrup, fiddlehead ferns, yellow morels), Summer (birch bark, multiple mushroom species, wild rice), Fall (balsam boughs, tree cones & seeds, pine, dogwood and fall mushrooms) and Winter (Basswood, Chaga and firewood). Book includes basic tenets of harvesting and helpful fact sheets on each species. Provides a point of entry to the world of natural resource gathering that can be used in conjunction with other plant identification resources.
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    Small Farms Initiative
    (2010) Arlt, Timothy; Wieland, Betsy; Winter, Nathan; Carlson, Brad; Martens, Dan; Haugen-Brown, Tana; Herzfeld, Dean; Foord, Karl; Wilsey, David; Martin, Wayne; Waters, Katherine; Kieser, Laura; Nelson, Beth; Gustafson, Kent; Postels, Brenda
    Establish the infrastructure for a vibrant Small Farms initiative to address the growing number of small farms in Minnesota. This includes publications, curriculums, events, activities, communications, web resources, and staff and professional development. This project will also work to identify potential funding sources and partners.
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    Thirteen Moons: Forging Connections in an Ojibwe Community Through Culture Ecology and Management
    (2011) Wilsey, David; DeFoe, Reggie; Dupuis, Wayne; Howes, Thomas; Olson, Steve; Peacock, Robert; Crowe, Nikki
    Traditional ecological knowledge and culture represent assets in community-based conservation and development. These assets, however, are often perceived as challenges to conservation and development efforts by external community partners and, perhaps surprisingly, by community actors. The latter realization emerged from the work of a partnership between the Fond du Lac (FDL) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe) and University of Minnesota Extension. This partnership sought to develop an Extension program to educate Band members about natural resources and improve management of Tribal natural resources by increasing overall understanding of Band members’ interest in these resources.
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    We Listen to Them: A Method for Interaction and Assessing Natural Resource Perspectives in Tribal Communities
    (St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension Service, 2009-10) Wilsey, David; Beaulieu, Susan; Newman, Dawn
    Utilizing appropriate assessment tools to gather information from community members is 26 essential to reliable data collection and subsequent success in community work, particularly when working across cultures. This study utilized the Sondeo method, a culturally appropriate assessment tool with origins in farming systems research and extension (FSR/E), to gather information about natural resource use and perspectives on the Fond du Lac Reservation in northeastern Minnesota. Building trust and relationships is critical in work with Native American communities, therefore, a participatory approach was used, with diverse teams comprised of community members and educators. The general theme of disconnect emerged at multiple levels, along with the importance of Ojibwe culture and language as key to understanding and promoting natural resource use and knowledge.