United South and Eastern Tribes
Office of Environmental Resource Management presents

Indigenous Farming Symposium (virtual)

Day One Recording

Day Two Recording

Day Three Recording

This virtual event features three facets of food sovereignty: Tribal Nation farms, Tribal nurseries, and USDA partnerships. Each day we’ll spotlight one of these facets and demonstrate their positive impact on the USET region despite disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

When? March 1-3 at 9:00 am – 11:00 am Central/10:00 am – 12:00 pm Eastern each day

Who should attend?

• Tribal farm and natural resources staff
• Tribal farmers and producers
• Tribal Nation partners, including government agency and non-profit staff.

Registration

Agenda-at-a-Glance:

• Day One: Virtual Farm Tours. Highlights from Tribal Nation farms in the USET Region.
• Day Two: Restoring Indigenous Ecosystems. Growing and restoring native plants for cultural and ecological purposes.
• Day Three: Conservation in Practice. Examples of utilizing USDA programs to advance Tribal conservation goals.

Attendees that complete the online evaluation following the symposium will be sent a gift box of Native-made goods after the event.

Agenda

Day 1: Virtual Farm Tours

John Hendrix, Director of Economic Development, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians

Jeremy Whipple, Agriculture Department Director, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

Wally Ransom, Agriculture Program Manager, St. Regis Mohawk Tribe

Day 2: Restoring Indigenous Ecosystems

Joseph Owle, Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

Dr. Adam Griffith, Specialized Area Agent, Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources

David Anderson, Horticulture Operations Supervisor, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

Marvin Bouknight, EPA and Natural Resources Program Manager, Catawba Indian Nation

Jessica Raspitha, Land Resources Program Manager, St. Regis Mohawk Tribe

Day 3: Conservation in Practice

Natural Resources Conservation Service Leadership, To Be Announced

Nicole Kubiczki, Resource Soil Scientist, Natural Resources Conservation Service

Desirae Kissell, Conservation Outreach Coordinator, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

David Redhage, Professional Development Program Manager, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

Nevin Dawson, Development Program Associate Coordinator, Northeast SARE

The Indigenous Farming Symposium is made possible with funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.