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Rosebud Reservation Creates Economic Opportunity Through Food Sovereignty
Rosebud Economic Development Corporation (REDCO) builds Homegrown Prosperity by connecting Sicangu Lakota Oyate communities to local, traditional food. Above: From left to right, the Sicangu Food Sovereignty Initiative Staff, Aaron Mandell, Mike Prate, Edwin Her Many Horses, Rachel Kent, Matt Wilson and Hollis Vanderlinden in front of a greenhouse at the Keya Wakpala Garden,…
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Bill and Kate Harwell: Sky Island Farm
Above: Kate and Bill Harwell own and operate Sky Island Farm in Hoquiam, Washington. It’s 14 hours a day, 7 days a week, rain or shine. “Every single season,” Bill Harwell said, as he sorted heirloom tomatoes in the late September sun in Hoquiam, Washington. First generation farmers Kate and Bill Harwell own and…
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Steve Helling: Prairie Hillside Garden
Above: Steve Helling at home in Brookings, South Dakota. “I want to tell my story because I think it’s important for other people considering starting out in smaller scale agriculture to see an example of what can happen down the road. Since we’ve been doing this and living this for 38 years, it has…
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Nash Farms:Farming with Family
Above: Tom Tschida at Nash Farms in Carbon County, Montana. Rusty, but functioning, antique tractors and a modern solar array frame Tom Tschida as he describes the unlikely way he became a rancher. “I’d been away working for a long time when [my parents] bought this place and started building it up. A few…
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Ellen Hartstirn: La Grande Community Garden
Above: Ellen stands in the La Grande Community Garden. Ellen Hartstirn spends most of her time at the La Grande Community Garden in La Grande, Oregon. “It’s just a beautiful place to be,” said Ellen standing next to her budding brussel sprouts. “I grew up with parents who were gardeners and I enjoyed gardening…
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Ian Caselli: Sioux Falls Producer
Above: Market gardener Ian Caselli at his home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Depending on the time of the year, Ian Caselli has two very different jobs. From September through May, Ian works as a Community Facilitator for the Sioux Falls School District. During the growing season, Ian is what he calls “a market…
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Luc and Rachel Bourgault: Local Producers
Above: Luc and Rachel Bourgault at their home in Clearmont, Wyoming. Luc and Rachel Bourgault live nestled in a hill right outside of Sheridan, Wyoming in Clearmont. They are new members of Powder River Basin Resource Council. They are local producers and the fourth generation to live on this homestead. The Bourgaults live in an…
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Shiloh Valley Family Farm
Theresa Shaw stands in a greenhouse at Shiloh Valley Family Farm as dark storm clouds fill the sky. Her youngest son, 5-year-old David, hangs on her hip as she begins her story. “The Farmer Veteran Coalition provided us a grant to buy this greenhouse as we were expanding into vegetables,” said Theresa. The…
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Stephanie Rael:Fighting for Farms
Above: Farmhand Stephanie Rael at Peaceful Belly Farms in Boise, Idaho. “I was raised on a lot of processed food. Canned goods, Hamburger Helper, frozen entrees, that sort of thing. I’ve always loved to eat but it wasn’t until I volunteered on an organic farm in Germany that I found my passion for good,…
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Tom Varcalli
Above: Tom Varcalli at his home in Sheridan, Wyoming. Tom Varcalli wants to see farms supporting families again. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture noted that the average American farm operated at a net loss — requiring off-farm income and health insurance just to break even. “The farm can make money — but not…