Back to All Projects

The Navajo Nation consists of 17 million acres, or about 25,000 square miles, approximately the size of West Virginia and three times as large as Massachusetts. The Shiprock Agency is located in the Northeastern part of the Navajo Nation and its reach extends into the Four Corners region of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.

Activities

Agriculture continues to be a livelihood for a majority of the Navajo (Dine’) people. Livestock production is a dependable staple that provides food and revenue for Navajo families. The goal of the Shiprock Cooperative Extension Office is to enhance the attitudes, knowledge, skills and behavior of Navajo Nation agricultural producers, both adults and youth, through delivery of intensive training, technological adaptation, agri-business projects and development of food policies.

Highlights

American Indian Producer in the New Economy

Shiprock Cooperative Extension office encourages producers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, which are attainable through intensive training and technology. With this guidance, producers have been able to develop agri-business projects and address food security within the Nation. Extension agents have conducted classroom sessions with hands-on demonstrations and techniques, and utilize professional experts from universities, and Tribal and Federal programs. Through collaboration with partners locally, statewide, nationally and internationally, the Extension team has initiated pilot projects for agribusinesses and established focus groups to address food security on the Navajo Nation to aid in the development of food policies.

Farm safety
Following a survey which revealed that few producers in the community were practicing safety on their farms, the Extension agent installed a successful prevention program. Presentations were delivered in the community on multiple topics, including cattle handling safety, the safe use of chemicals and pesticides and canal ditch safety.

Model Farmer program
The program involved 120 farmers, who were divided into treatment and non-treatment groups. Participants were able to see a vast difference in how they applied agricultural practices on their land. Grant funding was used to purchase cattle systems that consisted of chutes, panels and equipment for improving herd health.  Every four years this equipment rotates among communities so that many different producers have the opportunity to use it.

Bilingual program delivery
Shiprock Extension programs have been very well-received, especially when the agent was able to converse with her own people in their native language. Many of the people who came to the presentations were elders, who held grazing permits. At one time there was program funding for bilingual education in both private and public schools.  In most cases now, students learn Navajo from their parents. If not, their Native language is not being passed on and the tradition is dwindling.

COVID-19 Activities

• Distributed more than 300 bottles of hand sanitizer.
• Distributed latex gloves.
• Provided telephone consultation on livestock vaccines and feed.
• Provided 4-H youth with livestock grooming equipment for upkeep of their animals.
• Worked in conjunction with the Navajo Nation Window Rock tribal extension office to organize a virtual 4-H livestock show and sale for youth.

 

4-H Youth Program
The Youth Program is comprised of community clubs throughout the Shiprock Agency’s territory. Operating with a variety of partner organizations, the goals have been to recruit, train and monitor 4-H leaders and volunteers; promote 4-H youth development in all communities on the Navajo Nation; and take part in youth development activities. During the summer, 4-H youth work at chapter houses, gathering places on the Navajo Nation where residents have the opportunity to express their opinions and make communal decisions. Students often participate at the fair where nearly 150 youth from five different 4-H clubs and other school organizations, take part. Although it can be difficult finding volunteer leaders to start a club, the Extension youth program has been quite successful.

Livestock Management Program
Extension educators worked closely on this initiative with multiple stakeholders – including grazing officials, elected officials and others – from 20 communities in New Mexico, Arizona and Utah along the San Juan River. The training was focused on record keeping because this is a requirement to receive compensation through government programs. Participating producers met on a quarterly basis to learn more about nutrition and care of livestock, with a focus on herd health and types of diseases.

Native Rancher Shortcourse
The focus of this course was on Native foods. Many farms on the reservation were being transferred into the hands of women who were not familiar with production. Among other things, the course taught participants how to market their products. They learned how to make Native foods from blue corn and other traditional foods, helping to add value to their products. The course also covered living wills and the importance of conservation plans.

Back to All Projects

Located on the Navajo Nation, Window Rock lies within the St. Michael’s Chapter, adjacent to the Arizona/New Mexico state line. The community, which sits at an elevation of 6,830 feet, is approximately 160 miles west of Albuquerque.

Activities

With nearly 40 percent of households living below the poverty line, and 33 percent of the population being younger than 18, the Navajo people face numerous challenges. Among these are drought conditions and invasive species that are affecting the quality of their traditional homelands, limiting opportunities for economic activities and undermining efforts to redevelop local food systems. Through long-standing relationships with educational institutions, tribal government and community organizations, the Window Rock extension program is assisting Navajo farmers, ranchers and tribal youth in becoming successful producers while restoring and preserving their heritage and natural resources.

 

Highlights

FRTEP extension programming

In all extension programming at Window Rock, the primary goal for agents is to support a holistic approach that addresses community concerns by connecting the health of the land, its animals and the Navajo economy with the health of the people, their families and traditional Navajo lifeways. Extension delivers outreach and technical assistance to Navajo people of all ages, facilitating access to educational programs that promote youth mentoring, workforce and economic development and culturally appropriate agricultural practices related to soil, water and energy conservation.

Rangeland management tools

Extension delivers workshops on new Navajo Nation-specific mobile rangeland management tools developed by Extension, tribal elders, technical experts and others. These workshops promote best practices in land and range management, animal husbandry and other aspects of animal production.

Cultural adaptation

Extension agents work with Navajo elders and technical experts to make adaptations to educational materials to ensure they are culturally appropriate and place-based to increase relevance for communities that are both diverse and geographically widespread. In doing so they support and advance efforts to create resilient Navajo communities through conservation education and economic/workforce development that preserves traditional Navajo ways of life. This includes promoting best practices in home and community gardens, rainwater harvesting and small business/entrepreneurship.

Farmer and rancher productivity and management workshops are held to help improve beef quality practices. Agents use video teaching as well as hands-on demonstrations. Improvements that have resulted from these workshops include the use of proper injection sites, vaccine care, marketing and good record keeping practices.

Farm-to-school

The University of Arizona’s FRTEP extension program at Window Rock supports farm-to-school efforts that are intended to help integrate locally grown and traditional Navajo foods into school cafeterias and classrooms. Agents are working with tribal elders to explore connections between traditional farming methods and conventional approaches so that culturally appropriate good practices can be identified.

4-H Youth Development

Participation has continued to grow. 4-H leaders hosted 10 youth camps ranging from indoor projects to large animal showmanship clinics, reaching more than 200 youth and adults as a result. Building projects have been conducted to improve safety for young participants.

COVID-19 Activities

• Distributed latex gloves and face masks to local Navajo chapter houses.
• Assisted Shiprock community farmers in selling their upcoming produce harvests amid COVID-19 curfew conditions and concerns.
• Provided regular COVID-19 healthcare news, information, updates and impacts on the Navajo Nation.
• Worked in conjunction with the Navajo Nation Shiprock tribal extension staff to plan a virtual livestock show and sale in lieu of the cancellation of the Navajo Nation Fair Junior Livestock Show.

 

 

 

Back to All Projects

The Navajo Nation consists of 27,000 square miles in the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah with a population of 173,000 Navajos. Tuba City is located within the Painted Desert in Northeastern Arizona, approximately 50 miles from the eastern entrance to the Grand Canyon.

Activities

The Navajo Nation is the largest reservation in the country. It has only one incorporated township, and most homes do not have electricity, running water or telephones. A major portion of income comes from family-based agriculture. Although poverty is an issue, the Navajo people enjoy a rich cultural, spiritual and daily life based on small-scale farming and ranching.

The Western Navajo Agency’s priorities include the management of livestock and natural resources, youth development, healthy living, farming and home gardening. Extension plays a vital role in providing Navajo producers with information to expand their knowledge so that they can successfully engage in traditional farming practices. By growing traditional crops using proven methods, families can make a good living and utilize the food they produce for their own health and well-being. Although some families engage in small-scale sales through farmers markets and roadside stands, most of the produce is exchanged with other families rather than sold commercially for profit.

Highlights

MEASURING IMPACT

• “I think [FRTEP programs have] a lot of impact. The older I’m getting, there’s a lot of youths that we started with when they were around nine. They’re in high schools now, so about 15, 16 years old, and you see them with horses and what they’re doing in their life, and they’re pointing towards [studying and working in] agriculture.”

FRTEP programs have had a major impact on individuals, families and tribal communities. Just how much impact has now been quantified thanks to a research project that used Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) and content analysis. The Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) engaged in a joint collaboration with an evaluation team and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center to measure the long-term impacts of the Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Program (FRTEP) serving the community at Tuba City. Click the below the report.

Read the report

 

Youth Devlopment
Navajo Extension has developed a program to work with youth who do gymkhana and junior rodeo events. The University of Arizona brings in specialists in equine management, care and nutrition, as well as teachers who show kids how to ride and exercise their horses and take part in barrel racing. Thanks to a strong focus on skill development, youth programming has been one of the most successful endeavors for Western Navajo Extension.

Navajo Beef Program
Extension agents recruit, educate, and certify producers for the Navajo Beef program. Over 70 producers are certified annually thanks to training and education on Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) guidelines, record keeping, marketing and range management. Certifications continue to increase thanks to opportunities for high school students to be certified through FFA programs at school. The objective is to have students teach their parents who are ranchers about how to improve beef quality, the importance of vaccination, herd genetics and other best practices.

Bringing information to the community
Many Navajo elders are do not speak or understand English, so Extension presentations are often delivered in Navajo, translating cutting-edge information from the university to the grassroots level. Extension encourages traditional practices in all program areas and helps to promote crops such as blue corn, Indian corn and squash. Healthy byproducts, such as blue corn meal and ground kneel down bread (corn ground and baked under the earth), are instrumental for fighting the effects of diabetes. The Navajo Nation Special Diabetes Prevention Program works in partnership with FRTEP to build awareness and improve the health of community members.

COVID-19 Activities

• Provided personal protective equipment (PPE), latex gloves and thermometers for the community.
• Delivered face masks and hand sanitizer to the local strike team. Masks were provided by the Coconino County Extension, LaPaz County and the Page 4-H Club.
• Purchased 220 baskets of corn and watermelons for community members organized in conjunction with Future Farmers of America (FFA).

 

Back to All Projects

The Navajo Nation consists of 17 million acres, or about 25,000 square miles, approximately the size of West Virginia and three times as large as Massachusetts. The Shiprock Agency is located in the Northeastern part of the Navajo Nation and its reach extends into the Four Corners region of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.

Activities

Agriculture continues to be a livelihood for a majority of the Navajo (Dine’) people. Livestock production is a dependable staple that provides food and revenue for Navajo families. The goal of the Shiprock Cooperative Extension Office is to enhance the attitudes, knowledge, skills and behavior of Navajo Nation agricultural producers, both adults and youth, through delivery of intensive training, technological adaptation, agri-business projects and development of food policies.

Highlights

American Indian Producer in the New Economy

Shiprock Cooperative Extension office encourages producers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, which are attainable through intensive training and technology. With this guidance, producers have been able to develop agri-business projects and address food security within the Nation. Extension agents have conducted classroom sessions with hands-on demonstrations and techniques, and utilize professional experts from universities, and Tribal and Federal programs. Through collaboration with partners locally, statewide, nationally and internationally, the Extension team has initiated pilot projects for agribusinesses and established focus groups to address food security on the Navajo Nation to aid in the development of food policies.

Farm safety
Following a survey which revealed that few producers in the community were practicing safety on their farms, the Extension agent installed a successful prevention program. Presentations were delivered in the community on multiple topics, including cattle handling safety, the safe use of chemicals and pesticides and canal ditch safety.

Model Farmer program
The program involved 120 farmers, who were divided into treatment and non-treatment groups. Participants were able to see a vast difference in how they applied agricultural practices on their land. Grant funding was used to purchase cattle systems that consisted of chutes, panels and equipment for improving herd health.  Every four years this equipment rotates among communities so that many different producers have the opportunity to use it.

Bilingual program delivery
Shiprock Extension programs have been very well-received, especially when the agent was able to converse with her own people in their native language. Many of the people who came to the presentations were elders, who held grazing permits. At one time there was program funding for bilingual education in both private and public schools.  In most cases now, students learn Navajo from their parents. If not, their Native language is not being passed on and the tradition is dwindling.

COVID-19 Activities

• Distributed more than 300 bottles of hand sanitizer.
• Distributed latex gloves.
• Provided telephone consultation on livestock vaccines and feed.
• Provided 4-H youth with livestock grooming equipment for upkeep of their animals.
• Worked in conjunction with the Navajo Nation Window Rock tribal extension office to organize a virtual 4-H livestock show and sale for youth.

 

4-H Youth Program
The Youth Program is comprised of community clubs throughout the Shiprock Agency’s territory. Operating with a variety of partner organizations, the goals have been to recruit, train and monitor 4-H leaders and volunteers; promote 4-H youth development in all communities on the Navajo Nation; and take part in youth development activities. During the summer, 4-H youth work at chapter houses, gathering places on the Navajo Nation where residents have the opportunity to express their opinions and make communal decisions. Students often participate at the fair where nearly 150 youth from five different 4-H clubs and other school organizations, take part. Although it can be difficult finding volunteer leaders to start a club, the Extension youth program has been quite successful.

Livestock Management Program
Extension educators worked closely on this initiative with multiple stakeholders – including grazing officials, elected officials and others – from 20 communities in New Mexico, Arizona and Utah along the San Juan River. The training was focused on record keeping because this is a requirement to receive compensation through government programs. Participating producers met on a quarterly basis to learn more about nutrition and care of livestock, with a focus on herd health and types of diseases.

Native Rancher Shortcourse
The focus of this course was on Native foods. Many farms on the reservation were being transferred into the hands of women who were not familiar with production. Among other things, the course taught participants how to market their products. They learned how to make Native foods from blue corn and other traditional foods, helping to add value to their products. The course also covered living wills and the importance of conservation plans.

Back to All Projects

The Hopi Reservation is located in northern Arizona, about 100 miles northeast of Flagstaff. It consists of more than 2,500 square miles, all located within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation. Some 8,000 of the Hopi Tribe’s 12,000 enrolled members live on the reservation.

Activities

Hopi Reservation Extension works with Hopi Tribal Government partners such as the Office of Range Management and the Hopi Office of Youth Affairs, and with non-governmental partners such as the Hopi Pu’tavi Project and the Natwani Coalition to improve community capacities in the areas of natural resource management, community development, youth education and improved nutrition for disease prevention. Extension supports Hopi livestock production, traditional farming, home gardening and youth education.

 

Highlights

MEASURING IMPACT

• “…with the help of the FRTEP program….we got the (Hopi 4-H) charter approved through the state. We now have a Hopi Healthy Living Ambassadors Program that is offered to high school students. We now have the Robotics 101 and the STEM University.  We now have a path and a vision, and some goals that we are working on to help move the 4-H program forward again, and bring it alive and vibrant.”

• “Because (the agent) is a Community Member, a Tribal Member and lives here, she understands and knows most of the ins and outs of what we all live with out here, so that’s been very, very helpful and impactful.”

FRTEP programs have had a major impact on individuals, families and tribal communities. Just how much impact has now been quantified thanks to a research project that used Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) and content analysis. The Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) engaged in a joint collaboration with an evaluation team and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center to measure the long-term impacts of the Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Program (FRTEP) serving the Hopi Reservation. Click the link below to read the report.

Read the report

 

Youth food and nutrition

The Hopi have existed on the mesas of northern Arizona for centuries, depending on farming and knowledge of their land for survival. Hopi culture today is still dependent on this knowledge passed down from their elders. Traditional foods are required for participation in traditional Hopi life, and are a healthier alternative to modern processed foods. The Hopi Traditional Foods program is part of the wellness response to tribal priorities for the health of their children.

Range management

Extension works with the Hopi Office of Range Management to help provide education and assistance to livestock producers. Workshops are held covering such topics as Beef Quality Assurance, low-stress livestock handling, record keeping, ranch safety and agriculture risk management. Extension is seen as a valuable resource among producers on the reservation.

New programs

Hopi Extension is launching a 4-H program that will provide opportunities for youth to learn life skills and gain knowledge while having fun. 4-H programs are designed to fortify and revitalize agricultural and natural resource practices, develop 4-H youth leadership opportunities and strengthen families. Other new programs in development include school and community gardens and renewable energy.

COVID-19 Activities

• Helped facilitate the purchase and delivery of 350 bales of hay for Hopi ranchers unable to leave  the reservation due to travel restrictions.
• Helped facilitate the purchase of four truckloads of wood for the Hopi community needed for heating homes and cooking.
• Offered Zoom classes on gardening for community members, and supported gardeners via texts and phone calls.
• Offered weekly Zoom classes on health and fitness for youth.
• Helped to identify cattle vaccination resources for Hopi ranchers.
• Provided online classes on the canning of food.

Local Farmers and Hopi Food Leaders Work to Feed Their Communities Amid Pandemic and Climate Change

Jan. 27, 2021 – Story by Eleanor Bennett, Aspen Public Radio

With the ongoing drought in Pitkin, Eagle and Garfield counties and across most of the West, growing food and raising livestock is becoming more difficult. At the same time, the pandemic is exacerbating inequalities in the Roaring Fork Valley and many locals are still out of work, making it hard to access fresh, healthy food.

“The pandemic has shown us the inequity and inequality that we have in our country when it comes to food,” said Susan Sekaquaptewa, the Assistant Agent for the Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Program at the University of Arizona. “Good, healthy food is very hard and expensive for a lot of people in the country to have and it really shouldn’t be that way.”

Sekaquaptewa lives on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona where she teaches gardening, seed saving and food preservation to families in her community.

“In the Hopi community we’ve been pretty self-sustainable when it came to our food system up until probably the last hundred years,” she said.

Sekaquaptewa gave a recent virtual presentation on the connection between “food sustainability” and Hopi food traditions as part of this year’s Naturalist Nights winter speaker series hosted by Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES), Wilderness Workshop and Roaring Fork Audubon.

“Food sustainability really just means having enough food for everyone to eat,” Sekaquaptewa said during the presentation. “It’s about a connection to the landscape that you live in and knowing where your food comes from.”

That kind of connection goes beyond just giving out food, it extends to creating a more equitable system where local farmers and ranchers are supported and people are able to afford healthy food.

According to Sekaquaptewa, merging traditional growing methods — like Hopi “dry farming” where crops are grown without irrigation — with Western-based science education can help communities achieve food sustainability and is crucial in overcoming the dual crises of climate change and a broken food system.

“In my lifetime, I cannot believe I can see the difference of less snow and rain and moisture, which really impacts not just growing food, but the grasses, which impacts the cows, which impacts the birds,” Sekaquaptewa said. “It’s really all connected and so that worries me.”

Sekaquaptewa hopes to inspire Valley locals to look at their own food heritage and history for solutions to things like climate change and inequality. And that’s exactly what ACES’ Rock Bottom Ranch in the mid-valley is striving to do with their “regenerative agriculture” practices.

“Indigenous communities were the initial stewards of the land and a lot of regenerative agriculture practices stem from indigenous practices,” said Alyssa Barsanti, the Agriculture Manager at the ranch. “People are realizing that these methods have been around for a long time and they’ve been uncredited.”

Over the years, Barsanti said ACES and the Rock Bottom Ranch staff have continued to look at what was done on the land they now cultivate by people before them.

“We look to those practices because this land was fertile and healthy back when indigenous communities were stewarding it,” she said.

For example, the ranch uses “diversity, rotation and rest” practices with their livestock that were used successfully by Utes and other indigenous communities as ways of hunting, gathering and growing food in the area.

And as Sekaquaptewa proposed in her talk, they are working to merge these traditional methods with Western-based science to produce more food for the community, regenerate the land and reduce the impact of climate change.

By doing things like limiting the number of cows and livestock on the land and rotating them frequently, Barsanti said they’re managing the animals’ grazing habits to improve the soil and keep the grass in a vegetative state, which sequesters more carbon than if the grass were overgrazed or not grazed at all. This can also help offset the dangerous greenhouse gas, methane, that cows emit into the atmosphere when they belch.

“The goal in regenerative agriculture is to make the land better than it was,” she said. “At Rock Bottom Ranch we definitely believe that livestock are a powerful tool to help regenerate lands and bring them to their highest producing levels.”

In the past six years since she started at the ranch, Barsanti has noticed a decline in snow and rainfall as well as consistently earlier frost dates in August or September, which kills outdoor crops.

“Farming really brings you close to the land, the animals and the weather and you pay attention to every detail of precipitation and frost and all these things,” Barsanti said.

That closeness to the land also informs Rock Bottom Ranch’s approach to addressing inequality in the food system.

“We look at our land and our pasture health and our soil and the capacity of the land to figure out how much food and what food we can grow and raise,” Barsanti said. “And we found that with healthier pastures, you can produce more off the land and feed more people.”

For the past several years, the ranch has been working with the Colorado-based organization, UpRoot, to glean their surplus crops for local food pantries and humanitarian groups like Lift-Up.

They also started a live meat-chicken program with the Latinx community last summer. The ranch regularly sells their retired laying hens for a discounted price to community members who have backyard flocks, and in recent years they noticed an increasing number of people were actually taking them home to slaughter.

“We recognized a growing interest among our Latinx community in buying live chickens because of the cultural connection of being able to slaughter at home and prepare the animal,” Barsanti said. “So we decided that it would be a way more exciting product if we could raise meat chickens and sell them live.”

By creating programs that reconnect people with their food heritage and the land, Sekaquaptewa, Barsanti and the Rock Bottom Ranch team are part of a growing movement of people working to ensure everyone has equal access to food.

Back to All Projects

The Navajo Nation consists of 17 million acres, or about 25,000 square miles, approximately the size of West Virginia and three times as large as Massachusetts. The Shiprock Agency is located in the Northeastern part of the Navajo Nation and its reach extends into the Four Corners region of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.

Activities

Agriculture continues to be a livelihood for a majority of the Navajo (Dine’) people. Livestock production is a dependable staple that provides food and revenue for Navajo families. The goal of the Shiprock Cooperative Extension Office is to enhance the attitudes, knowledge, skills and behavior of Navajo Nation agricultural producers, both adults and youth, through delivery of intensive training, technological adaptation, agri-business projects and development of food policies.

Highlights

American Indian Producer in the New Economy

Shiprock Cooperative Extension office encourages producers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, which are attainable through intensive training and technology. With this guidance, producers have been able to develop agri-business projects and address food security within the Nation. Extension agents have conducted classroom sessions with hands-on demonstrations and techniques, and utilize professional experts from universities, and Tribal and Federal programs. Through collaboration with partners locally, statewide, nationally and internationally, the Extension team has initiated pilot projects for agribusinesses and established focus groups to address food security on the Navajo Nation to aid in the development of food policies.

Farm safety
Following a survey which revealed that few producers in the community were practicing safety on their farms, the Extension agent installed a successful prevention program. Presentations were delivered in the community on multiple topics, including cattle handling safety, the safe use of chemicals and pesticides and canal ditch safety.

Model Farmer program
The program involved 120 farmers, who were divided into treatment and non-treatment groups. Participants were able to see a vast difference in how they applied agricultural practices on their land. Grant funding was used to purchase cattle systems that consisted of chutes, panels and equipment for improving herd health.  Every four years this equipment rotates among communities so that many different producers have the opportunity to use it.

Bilingual program delivery
Shiprock Extension programs have been very well-received, especially when the agent was able to converse with her own people in their native language. Many of the people who came to the presentations were elders, who held grazing permits. At one time there was program funding for bilingual education in both private and public schools.  In most cases now, students learn Navajo from their parents. If not, their Native language is not being passed on and the tradition is dwindling.

COVID-19 Activities

• Distributed more than 300 bottles of hand sanitizer.
• Distributed latex gloves.
• Provided telephone consultation on livestock vaccines and feed.
• Provided 4-H youth with livestock grooming equipment for upkeep of their animals.
• Worked in conjunction with the Navajo Nation Window Rock tribal extension office to organize a virtual 4-H livestock show and sale for youth.

 

4-H Youth Program
The Youth Program is comprised of community clubs throughout the Shiprock Agency’s territory. Operating with a variety of partner organizations, the goals have been to recruit, train and monitor 4-H leaders and volunteers; promote 4-H youth development in all communities on the Navajo Nation; and take part in youth development activities. During the summer, 4-H youth work at chapter houses, gathering places on the Navajo Nation where residents have the opportunity to express their opinions and make communal decisions. Students often participate at the fair where nearly 150 youth from five different 4-H clubs and other school organizations, take part. Although it can be difficult finding volunteer leaders to start a club, the Extension youth program has been quite successful.

Livestock Management Program
Extension educators worked closely on this initiative with multiple stakeholders – including grazing officials, elected officials and others – from 20 communities in New Mexico, Arizona and Utah along the San Juan River. The training was focused on record keeping because this is a requirement to receive compensation through government programs. Participating producers met on a quarterly basis to learn more about nutrition and care of livestock, with a focus on herd health and types of diseases.

Native Rancher Shortcourse
The focus of this course was on Native foods. Many farms on the reservation were being transferred into the hands of women who were not familiar with production. Among other things, the course taught participants how to market their products. They learned how to make Native foods from blue corn and other traditional foods, helping to add value to their products. The course also covered living wills and the importance of conservation plans.

Back to All Projects

The Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) is comprised of four distinct tribes: The Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi and Navajo. The CRIT reservation was established in 1865 and is located on the Southwestern part of Arizona along the Colorado River, with a portion of the reservation on the California side. The reservation covers an area of close to 300,000 acres, 80,000 of which is arable. The main agricultural products are alfalfa and cotton, and a few minor crops which includes specialty potatoes, durum wheat, sorghum, as well as Bermuda and Sudan grass.

Activities

FRTEP is the outreach arm of the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension for the Colorado River Indian Tribes. The FRTEP agent, together with the extension specialists and faculty, provides science-based information and programs to help the farmers, youth and the tribal community.

Highlights

 

MEASURING IMPACT

• “I love the 4-H program and the opportunities it provides for children to start learning about accountability and responsibility and being a good role model.

• “I do farming here on the reservation… and I see [Extension] is a pretty valuable asset as far as 4-H and [adult] continuing education…it connects the dots in my life….there’s good, useful resources here.” 

FRTEP programs have had a major impact on individuals, families and tribal communities. Just how much impact has now been quantified thanks to a research project that used Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) and content analysis. The Indian Land Tenure Foundation (ILTF) engaged in a joint collaboration with an evaluation team and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center to measure the long-term impacts of the Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Program (FRTEP) serving the Colorado River Indian Tribes. Click the link below to read the report.

Read the report

Agriculture and Natural Resources

FRTEP aims to help farmers in the reservation improve productivity by providing educational opportunities on crop production technologies, and pest and disease management. The FRTEP agent collaborated with the extension specialists of the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension to share results of their latest research studies and other developments in crop production. Weather forecasts and heat units data are provided to help farmers manage their crops better. Field trials are also conducted to generate local data.

School Garden

The CRIT reservation is blessed with a fertile valley and an abundance of water, resources which support farming. FRTEP collaborated with Le Pera Elementary School (the K-8 school located on the reservation) to establish a learning garden so students will understand how plants grow and have an appreciation of the farming activities around them. The garden provides an opportunity for students to learn hands-on how to grow vegetables and take care of fruit trees. It serves as an outdoor classroom where students learn applied science and math concepts through gardening. The school garden is divided into two sections: a vegetable area and a fruit grove. In the vegetable area, students do land preparation, planting and learning what plants are suitable for the cold and warm seasons, irrigation and water conservation using a drip system and mulching, care and maintenance, and harvesting. In the fruit grove, the students learn how to fertilize, prune, and remove weeds under the canopy of trees. The garden also offers physical activity for the students and gives them a break from sitting inside the classroom for long hours.

Community Garden

FRTEP has partnered with the CRIT-DHS Food Distribution Program on a community garden project to encourage clients to grow vegetables. The garden provides a season-long learning opportunity that enables participants to learn gardening from preparing the soil to harvesting. Participants are encouraged to grow their own garden at home so they can apply the concepts learned from the community garden. During the COVID-19 pandemic, FRTEP partnered with the AZ Health Zone (formerly SNAP Ed) coordinator to provide the Seed-to-Supper online vegetable gardening program. This is a six-week gardening class that covers topics from planning a home garden to harvesting.

Health and Nutrition

In addition to the community garden project, FRTEP has partnered with the County FCHS agent and the AZ Health Zone program coordinator to provide nutrition education and cooking demonstrations using healthy recipes that utilize ingredients coming from the CRIT-DHS Food Distribution Program and from the community garden.

4-H and Youth Development

The 4-H program provides opportunity for youth to learn life skills and develop leadership and communication skills. FRTEP collaborated with the county 4-H agent to encourage tribal youth to participate in 4-H. Notable projects include livestock, small stock and poultry raising, where they learn to raise animals for food. Participants are required to do an indoor project which helps develop their writing and communication skills. Other projects offered include shooting sports and sport fishing, and a summer camp where students learn about robotics, solar energy, and other STEM concepts. Club membership is required as well as attendance in club meetings. This helps youth to develop leadership skills as they perform different tasks and roles in the club. Youth members are also encouraged to volunteer in community events to further enhance interpersonal skills as well as teaching them the importance of giving back to the community which supports the 4-H program.

FRTEP also partnered with Le Pera Elementary School on a mini Fab Lab project. FRTEP will provide state-of-the-art equipment through a grant funded by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. The school will provide the space to house the Fab Lab and develop a curriculum that will provide an opportunity for students to learn STEM concepts and their practical application.

COVID-19 Activities

• Distributed face masks through food banks, soup kitchens and crisis shelters.
• Worked with local 4-H leaders to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies and donated these to other tribal communities affected by the virus.
• Provided hand sanitizers for use in tribal offices.
• Donated produce (watermelons, tomatoes, apples, bell peppers) from various garden projects to tribal employees who are front-line/essential workers.
• Provided vegetable seeds and gardening information to residents to encourage backyard gardening during the stay-at-home order.
• Worked virtually with 4-H youth to complete and collect their record books.
• Provided virtual training for 4-H youth who qualified to become ambassadors and members of state-level committees.
• Provided technical support for gardening webinars.
• Addressed gardening questions sent via e-mails, text messages and social media.