The Ekwok Village Council (EVC) is a federally recognized tribe, under the name of the Native Village of Ekwok (NVE). Our intent with this project is to provide traditional, wild harvested foods to local Ekwok Tribal members who live year-round in Ekwok. Harvesters in remote areas have access to these products and seek buyers through informal networks.  NVE will develop a network of local and regional harvesters, purchase these traditional food products, and transport them to Ekwok via regional air service.

Access to traditional crops is not easily available to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian (EBCI) community. By creating demand for native foods, we will improve food access in our community, while building a specialty market for Cherokee traditional foods. With the increased demand and purchasing power of the LFPA+, EBCI Cooperative Extension plans to grow Cherokee farmers and create new Cherokee owned food businesses to sustain this programming and the food sovereignty of our Tribe. 

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe is dedicated to improving nutrition security and increasing food sovereignty for tribal members. Native Americans face some of the highest rates of food insecurity, and the pandemic has worsened this disparity. 

The purpose of this project is to provide food assistance to the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana Tribal Community. The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana is a Federally Recognized Tribe located three miles North of Elton in Southwest Louisiana. Most of our members live in Allen Parish with the remaining residing in surrounding communities and adjacent parishes. 

The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (CTGR) is a federally recognized Tribe with over 6,300 tribal members. For over 39 years, the Tribal Government has worked diligently to rebuild and restore the cultural, social, and economic foundations of the Tribe that were decimated over the previous century. As the population, including young families, continues to grow in the Grand Ronde community, the demand of high-quality nutritional options and first foods continue to grow.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) of the Flathead Reservation in Montana will strengthen the Tribes' Food Access and Food Sovereignty movements by implementing the Flathead LFPA: Building Food Sovereignty on the Flathead Indian Reservation, a project to purchase locally produced food from socially disadvantaged producers. Vegetables, beef, bison, fish, grains and legumes will be purchased to distribute high-quality, nutrient dense, low-fat foods to low income, food insecure Tribal families.

The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will build the capacity and network partnerships of local and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers in order to reduce food insecurity across the 10,922-square-mile reservation area. Procuring local produce and protein sources and establishing a direct farmer to consumer market will encourage production and streamline efficiency of delivering fresh, minimally processed foods to underserved Tribal citizens in the food deserts where they live.

Alaska currently imports 95% of its food from outside sources and is ranked 9th in the nation for food insecurity. Chignik Lagoon, a rural community accessible only by plane or boat, is no stranger to the challenges of food security. When compared to the nearest cities and hubs, food costs in Chignik Lagoon are more than twice as high due to the expense of shipping. 

“Watch Our Roots Grow” is aimed at bettering our local farm community and the underserved Native American Community. By purchasing local meats and produce from farms in our area we will be bettering our local agricultural community and raise awareness about the benefits of purchasing local, including saving money. We will aid our community with food needs to help defray the rising cost of food and educate our tribal citizens about local foods. We will hold up to 12 pantry days per year to distribute meats and miscellaneous goods that all families need to flourish.

The project purpose is to expand the tribes’ food pantry and distribution centers’ services by adding one (1) more food distribution center/pantry in Oklahoma County, for a total of four (4) food distribution/pantry locations. The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes will cover a total of twelve (12) counties with underserved tribal community members that will receive fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats (beef and buffalo) that will be directly purchased from two (2) additional local and disadvantaged farmers and producers totaling six (6) farmers and producers.