Agricultural science | Studies, essays, thesises » Youth Essay Contest, Feeding the Future and Filling the Age Gap in Indian Agriculture

Source: http://www.doksinet 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST Feeding the Future and Filling the Age Gap in Indian Agriculture The Intertribal Agriculture Council’s 2014 essay contest encouraged youth to use census data to back up their ideas on the importance of feeding the future and filling the age gap in Indian agriculture. The essays on the following pages shows their level of commitment and passion to preserving traditions and the value of feeding ourselves. Source: http://www.doksinet Fallon Blackbull Navajo Nation The Navajo (Dine) people have traditionally embraced agriculture and livestock ownership. Our cultural presence is partly defined by our connection to the land and the gifts it brings. We truly believe the Holy Ones bestowed on us the knowledge and ability to grow and successfully harvest from our sacred lands. Agriculture has always been an integral part of our Navajo (Dine) way of life. Today, our Navajo (Dine) people still practice many of our traditional methods of

farming; however, our farmers are aging and there is a significant age gap. According to figures released in August by the US Department of Agriculture, the average age of a Navajo farm operator is 58 years old. By contrast, only 688 farmers are age 25 or younger. The census data revealed that 82% of Navajo farmers are 45 years or older, 16% were 75 years or older and 3% were aged 25 years or younger. Ironically, even though are farmers are growing older; since 2009 farms operating on the Navajo Nation increased. In 2007, there were 12,000 recognized farms and in 2012 that number grew to 14,300. The number of farms grew, but the size of the farms decreased The census found in 2007, the average size of a Navajo farm was 1,315 acres. In 2012, the average size of a farm shrank to 1,175 acres The data provided by the U.S Department of Agriculture gives our people a very clear picture of our agricultural future Although the amount of farms grew on the Navajo Nation, our farm sizes are

shrinking and our farmers continue to grow older. If we are unable to encourage our youth to pursue agrarian careers, our traditional connection to our sacred lands will soon be lost. Our generation has the innate ability to create a renewed connection to our lands and the importance of agriculture and livestock ownership. We can increase our youth’s knowledge of agriculture by providing them the opportunity to “get their hands dirty.” Our traditions teach us the philosophy of The Beauty Way (Nizhonigo ‘lina) and the importance of our Four Sacred Mountains. Our youth needs to understand the important role our lands play in our Sovereignty. We need to give our youth an opportunity to make traditional connections to our agricultural practices. We need to incorporate our traditional agricultural practices into our reservation schools Our schools should create and maintain gardens as part of their daily curriculum. Growing traditional foods such as: corn, squash, beans, pumpkin,

and wild potatoes allow our youth to “taste” our history. All of the students can research the foods planted, prepare the soil, plant the seeds, maintain and harvest their crops. All traditional school subjects could be incorporated into a gardening project. Math, Civics, Language Arts, Reading, and especially Science could be holistically taught. Our youth would learn the academic components and our traditional ways simultaneously. Once the harvest was complete, the food could be used in many different ways. The schools could use their bounty to supplement lunches (instead of relying on commodities). Students can enjoy healthier alternatives to processed food but more importantly, have the knowledge to recreate the gardening experience at home. Secondly, schools could have a yearly Harvest Festival and invite the community to a locally grown meal. The students could share their harvest while sharing the importance of our traditional agricultural practices and how those practices

create healthier lifestyles. Finally, our youth could take their harvest to our annual Northern Navajo Nation Fair The money raised from the sale of our harvest could be used to purchase needed materials: seeds, equipment, etc. for future gardens. In this way, our gardens become self-sufficient and our youth learn the business component of agriculture. 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 2 Source: http://www.doksinet Another invaluable resource is 4-H. I have participated in 4-H since I was five years old On the Navajo Nation there are numerous clubs to join. 4-H teaches important skills but most importantly, the responsibility needed in the raising of crops and livestock. I have raised numerous animals (sheep, rabbits, chickens, and meat pens) with the guidance of my 4-H leaders and my family. My animals are raised and sold at our local fair Many Navajo youth participate in 4-H and use the skills learned and the money made to purchase the animals needed for the following year. 4-H, as an

organization, offers our youth endless opportunities to learn every facet of agriculture Lastly, our youth have an enhanced understanding of technology. Our technological understanding creates a foundation to change the “face of farming.” Technology gives us a more efficient and productive way to complete agricultural tasks. If youth saw the benefit their technological abilities had on agriculture, I truly believe the benefits would be great. Older farmers can teach our youth the “trade of farming” and in turn, our young people can harness their knowledge and develop agri-business ideas that will allow farming to grow. The beauty of agriculture and livestock awareness is the ability to become self-reliant but more importantly, healthy. Many tribal nations struggle with sovereignty and are consistently reliant on the government to provide food (commodities and assistance). If our people could create, manage, and grow large amounts of food; our proud Nations could become

self-sufficient again. We could feed ourselves and any excess crops and livestock, could be sold. True sovereignty comes from being able to maintain our people and our traditional way of life By producing our own food, we maintain our ability to care for own. More importantly, we return our people to a healthier way of being. Our traditional ways of growing and preparing our food helped us maintain excellent health. Through the years however, our people began relying on foods which are not traditionally part of our food supply. Subsequently, our people suffer from an epidemic of Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, and Obesity. By creating a “Culture of Agriculture” we can reset our future. Our future is dependent on our ability to provide for ourselves. By educating our youth on the importance agriculture plays in both our sovereignty and our healthwe can begin providing for our future generations. Our youth need to see and comprehend the value of agriculture and how agricultural

integrity allows our people to flourish. Our youth truly holds “The Key to Our Future” and the hope of strong, independent, sovereign Tribal Nations. 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 3 Source: http://www.doksinet Jacey Phillips Cherokee Nation As Oklahoma youth we are told that Native Americans are a diverse and proud people, but in all honesty I had never thought much about my heritage until junior high after being assigned a research paper. What I discovered was that in 1894 at the age of 7 my great-great grandmother traveled to Oklahoma in a covered wagon. She lost her husband and later married his twin bother and raised three sons. Many years later she raised five of her own grandchildren. She knew and understood the hardships and struggles facing her generation and her children Nettie lived on less than a quarter acre of land on which she planted a garden every year of her life except the final few. Nettie fed her children and many neighborhood families from that land. She canned

and preserved all summer long in preparation for the winter months to come. Her family never did without and neither does mine, because my mother picked alongside her as a child and learned as I do from my mother. Nettie passed from this life at 106 years of age. She would have been 17 in 1904 and I find it ironic that there are 111 years separating her life from mine, but I see some of the same struggles in my generation that plagued hers, but also a loss of the knowledge of the land for agriculture. I believe that to feed the future and to fill the age gap in Indian agriculture we have to lower the dependence on the entitlement club, educate and communicate with current tribal members about agricultural information, and increase the amount of native American women in the agriculture field. I joined the FFA in either grade and have become an Ag Advocate in our school and community. I raise and show livestock which is nothing new to my family; however, I do not think by not living or

working on a farm it should hold anyone back from being involved in agriculture. There are many fields open to young men and women in tribal agriculture, but we must improve how that information is distributed. I refuse to become a part of the “entitlement” club. Each day, every hour, it gets closer to the time I leave high school behind and enter into adulthood. When the time comes I will own my own piece of land and the cattle that are on it I will work the land and its resources to the fullest potential and I will be successful, because I earned it and because I listened and followed the advice and knowledge of those who toiled the land before me and paved the way. How do we begin to repair years of absence of knowledge in our tribes? Education, and more education. Our nation as a whole has become dependent on our leaders and lawmakers to decide what is best for us. In allowing ourselves to be governed in this manner, we have produced a generation of entitlement. Those within

the “entitlement” club believe they are deserving of all the benefits of our founding fathers and tribal leaders with no actual claim to earning it. Feeding the future means education and growth in our agriculture programs within our tribes. It is unacceptable that we sit back and let our lands and way of life disappear because we lack the awareness to save it. While many of our tribes have programs in place to educate, they are facing declining interest due to unavailability in some areas and decreasing numbers among younger tribal members. So how do we change the future? I believe in programs such as 4-H and Future Farmers of America, JOM programs and tribal trainings. We need more effective workers within our school districts to provide programs and opportunities for our tribal students and parents. In all honesty, not much has ever been offered to me through our school system to make me want to become more involved until I joined FFA. While I have lacked that knowledge, just

twenty miles down the road my younger cousin is being immersed in tribal language and culture through after school programs provided by tribal members and associations. In order to feed the future we have to bring the past into the present In 2013 the Cherokee Nation encouraged farmers and ranchers within its 14-county jurisdiction to return U.S Department of Agriculture census forms so they wouldn’t miss out on thousands of dollars to boost their businesses 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 4 Source: http://www.doksinet and livelihood. Every five years the USDA takes a count of farms and ranches and those who operate the That data shapes the decisions on USDA farm programs and how tax dollars are used for loans, aid and grants in the area. Traditionally, Cherokee farmers and ranchers have been unreported on the count because they may not realize they qualify, don’t get a form or may not feel comfortable responding (www.everyculturecom) Today, the Cherokee Nation occupies all or part

of 14 counties in Oklahoma; I live in one of the counties. I believe to insure the growth of tribal farms and ranches, we have to encourage the youth to sit and communicate to their family, grandparents or tribal elders about years past. Open our discussions to what worked and what failed and provide opportunities for development. In all our actions we should be diligent My parents, grandparents and so forth grew up and lived on farms and small acreages. They, as do I, understand you must take care of the land and it will take care of you. I am not entitled to anything I did not earn It is unacceptable that out of the 72,000 Native Americans producing raw products, less than 9 percent are younger than 35 years of age. We have become a nation that is so technology oriented that we are letting go of the past to embrace a future that is harming us. Land is one of our most valuable resources I drive by five abandoned properties on my way to school each day. I cannot help but wonder about

the people that lived in those homes Our communities and towns are full of tribal members who do not actively participate in improving their own way of life. Indifference to the situation, possibly, but I think it is more of a generation gap As I stated earlier, it is imperative that we put people into our local communities and schools that can implement programs geared towards our younger generation. We need to partner up with our local extension offices Programs such as 4-H and FFA are invaluable sources of information and one on one involvement. I believe I am the person I am today because of joining 4-H in the fourth grade. Not only can we improve our student involvement, but it will also bring in parental awareness. Learning is fun if we are all excited and enjoying the rewards We need to connect each student involved in agriculture programs with tribal members who are living and working our areas. These farmers and ranchers have the knowledge to share if we will take the time to

listen. We need to encourage farmers and ranchers to mentor a student for a year. We have many students who live in towns and small communities that do not live on farms or ranches but are still eager to learn. Those will be the students who develop a love for agriculture because it is not an everyday activity in their lives. One example among our tribes is through programs such as The Native Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative. The NAFSI grant is intended to help tribes and Native communities build sustainable food systems such as community gardens, food banks, food pantries and/or other agricultural projects related to Native food-systems control. (wwwfirstnationsorg/programs/foods-health) I recently attended Native Youth in Agriculture Summer Summit at the university of Arkansas. I realized that I, along with many other Native American youth, am not living up to the potential opportunities our tribes provide us. We must become instruments to provide and establish clearer

guidelines for our tribal youth to grow in knowledge and create opportunities for a better way of life. As a Native Youth Ambassador for Agriculture it is my duty to step up and make a difference not only in my community but create excitement in our younger tribal members to become active participating members in their own right. Education and training are invaluable tools, put those tools in the right hands and they can feed many. Another area that we have overlooked is our female tribal members. Women in agriculture are growing each year I believe they may be one of our best means for getting our tribal numbers up. Careers in Agriculture are as diverse as the women involved in them. Women are proving they can run farms and ranches as well as the men Many of us are unpaid workers on family farms already. I, myself, have had many Supervise Agricultural Experiences (SAE’s) through FFA in swine, goats, sheep, and cattle. Today, there are 610,240 FFA members aged 12-21, in 7,665

chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rice, and the US Virgin Islands. 47% of FFA members are female: women hold 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 5 Source: http://www.doksinet approximately 50 % of state leaderships positions, however only 8% of those women are Native Americas. (www.ffaorg) I am just an ordinary teenager living in a very small town. Our school system has less than 1000 students and 70 percent of them receive free or reduced launches. We are a low income community My parents are divorced and I have not seen my father in seven years. We currently lease our property and land I tell you these things because my situation is very similar to many of my peers. I made a decision many years ago to not be defined by my current circumstances. Most of the kids that graduate from our small town do so with the thought of getting out of this town and never returning. I can’t wait to get out and come back I am excited about my future I am very unsure where college is going to take me but I

can tell you this, it will involve agriculture. I hope that someday I will be able to be an example for generations to come that tribal education is a good thing. In conclusion nothing is more important to me than my family and helping future generations to fill in the age gap. I truly believe that women in agriculture are growing rapidly and will make a significant difference in Indian agriculture. I also believe that whether you are living on a tribal reservation or a family farm, it is important that we let ourselves be counted and heard. Calling our tribal offices and familiarize ourselves with programs available to us is essential in our growth. I cannot make a difference alone, but together we can make a difference in the lives of our future generations. We need to become less dependent on others and let our voices be heard in agricultural summits and meetings around the world. Whether through farmers’ markets and community gardens or larger scale farms involved in meat or crop

productions, we can make a difference. We need to use the knowledge and wisdom of our past generations to open gateways in order to teach, educate, and grow the next generation of Native Americans in Indian agriculture. 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 6 Source: http://www.doksinet Lena E. Sanchez Jicarella Apache Nation I come from a ranching background on both sides of my family. For generations my family has owned sheep and cattle, raising them in the rich lands of Northern New Mexico. My paternal grandfather started as a ranch hand and worked his way up to Ranch Foreman for the Diamond S Ranch. My maternal great uncle, Lindbergh Velarde’s cow-calf operation has one of the highest ratings from the USDA in New Mexico. When my family first moved to the southern end of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation, there were no fences, and most of the grazing acreage was infested with sagebrush. Beginning with my mother’s maternal grandfather, the land was eventually cross-fenced and he

eventually mitigated the sagebrush infestation, until the acreage became some of the most prime grazing land in the entire state. My great grandfather’s hard work and dedication has inspired me to go into some aspect of the agriculture industry. I look forward to better conservation of the land within the boundaries of our reservation and thriving as a community through agriculture. In recent years the age gap in agriculture is growing, especially on my own reservation – the Jicarilla Apache Reservation. Almost all the ranchers on my reservation are over the age of 65 Ranching takes its toll on a person and in the very near future the older generation won’t be able to continue in the agriculture industry. In addition, many young tribal members are leaving the reservations to pursue a college education, and upon completion of their education, they often find it difficult to find gainful employment on their reservations. Ranching is a very important tradition to the Jicarillas and

I would hate to see it disappear entirely. For many native communities, agriculture is a part of their culture and way of life. We are slowly losing that part of our legacy The challenges of the current economy play a role in discouraging tribal youth to pursue careers in the agriculture industry, especially on their own reservations. It is of the utmost importance that the next generation perseveres and protects agriculture on our reservations and in our native communities. Tribes might be able to encourage more young men and women to pursue a career in the field of agriculture on reservations by assisting young entrepreneurs wanting to go into farming or ranching. For example, by offering incentives to complete their education in agriculture and return to the reservations, more young tribal members might be encouraged to actively pursue farming, ranching or some other career in agriculture. Offering incentives such as grants covering startup costs, covering the cost of consultants’

fees, providing other resources such as land and/or building space, or the use of specialized equipment, tribal governments can help minimize some of the risk associated with starting new agri-business ventures. The poverty on reservations and in rural communities is epidemic. These are all the areas where farmers and ranchers are. In this economy farmers and ranchers barely earn enough money to pay their expenses, much less enough to support their families. I can understand why my own family doesn’t want me to go into agriculture – it’s a hard life, and they don’t want me to struggle like they did. Other families must surely feel similarly They all want better for their children. Again, by assisting young tribal members in their pursuit of a career in agriculture, tribes will be helping the growth of agri-businesses on their reservations. Instead of running from the problem, why don’t we fix it? My generation should be the voice for farmers and ranchers, especially

considering that young tribal members are more likely to have a formal education, which could not only help them in their pursuit of a career in agriculture, but also to help elders understand and navigate policies and laws that may affect them. We should be the ones to change the agriculture industry for the better. 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 7 Source: http://www.doksinet Filling the age gap in Indian Agriculture isn’t going to be easy. Nonetheless, we have to start somewhere We must start with the youth. I’ve noticed there has been a huge loss of interest in the youth Our first job is to educate more of our youth on the importance of agriculture on reservations. A perfect example of educating youth is the Youth Leadership Summit I attended in Fayetteville, Arkansas this summer in July, which was hosted by the IAC. Our projects taught me about the complexities of starting a business in agriculture on Indian land. I believe educating the youth should be a community affair. We

need to tap into the older generations’ wisdom before it’s too late I’d like to see the older generation and the younger generations unite to become a stronger force in Indian country. Part of feeding the future and filling the age gap in Indian Agriculture includes exercising the sovereignty of tribes. With such a high epidemic of diabetes, obesity and heart disease in native people, we should be thinking of ways to remedy this. I want part of feeding the future to be feeding our own people more healthy and nutrient rich foods Part of the reason we have so many health problems in our native communities is because of the lack of healthy food choices is overwhelming. One way to get better access is to just grow the food ourselves I know that some tribes have community gardens. My tribe has a garden for the Senior Citizens I think it would be very beneficial to the community to have a garden completely run by the youth of the community. It would keep the youth involved in

agriculture and could also give them a sense of accomplishment and confidence. A community garden or a farmer’s market on reservations would keep the community united as one. Part of exercising our sovereignty means being able, at least in part, to feed ourselves. In addition to feeding ourselves, we need to protect our land. After my tribe signed the treaty that established our original reservation in 1887, we have made several significant land purchases which as added to the Jicarilla’s land base. Over the years we have bought back a lot of our original homeland Not every tribe has the capacity to make such large purchases and increase their land base; there is a huge amount of land loss throughout Indian Country. I want to see my generation help their own tribes get some of their land back. The land that my tribe has bought back is now used, in part, for agricultural purposes, as well as enhancing the tribe’s cultural knowledge and resources. Tribal members have been given

bigger land assignments in order to build up their ranching/farming operations. Tribes could also use their natural resources more effectively by following the example of the Jicarilla Apache Nation’s Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP), the first of its kind in Indian country. The Jicarilla’s Planning Department, under the leadership of its Planning Department Director Alberta Velarde, took a realistic inventory of all the tribe’s resources and then suggested a management plan to effectively use and protect those resources. If more tribes could get some of their own land back it could pave the way for bigger and better things in Indian Agriculture. At the 2013 IAC’s Annual Membership meeting in Las Vegas last December, we learned that in the year 2050, this planet will reach a point where we will there is not enough food to feed the population of the planet. This means that it will be a priority of my generation to find a solution to this looming problem. Therefore, it

is more important than ever to find ways to successfully fill the age gap in Indian Agriculture. The first step will be to provide our youth with an education that focuses on the important role of farmers and ranchers in Indian Country, the complexities of going into business in the agriculture industry, and the positive impact we can affect on the general health of our people and our economy. Programs like the Youth Leadership Summit hosted by the IAC in Fayetteville, Arkansas this summer are sorely needed on more reservations. The indigenous tribes of our country were once able to thrive and live healthy, active lives with our own safe food supply, and with education and focused effort, we can do the same again. It’s exciting to be part of the generation that will bring these changes to Indian country. 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 8 Source: http://www.doksinet Katelyn Alberson It is time, at last to speak about feeding the future and filling the age gap in Indian agriculture. I

strongly believe that there is a small problem with today’s youth in being active with outdoors activities. The way I look at it is that the youth of today are not discovering an interest in agriculture. Then filling the age gap in Indian agriculture we should get grants to send to our schools for our agriculture classes to build green houses or make a garden then a lot more people would be interested in seeing how things work. They would like how it works and want to build their own greenhouse or even make a garden with small steps like that and the more we do we then will be able to feed our future with natural foods not synthetic foods. The future would be a lot healthier and motived to do things if they ate organic foods. What does this mean to me? To me this is important topics to analyze. We need to find way to feed our future healthier foods. Then we need to get younger generations involved into learning about agriculture but this generation has been taken over by electronics

so much that some kids don’t even go outside anymore. The statistics according to the 2012 census of agriculture says less than 9% are younger that 35 years of age. We should make things fun so they put down there electronics and become involved in learning agriculture and on how it works so we can raise the percentage. They might even do things that they never intended on doing they could even garden by doing aquaponics. To me aquaponics is the most astonishing way to garden If you didn’t know what aquaponics is it is when a system of aquaculture in which the waste produced by fish that farmed or other aquatic animals supplies nutrients for plants grown hydroponically. What could I do to fill in the age gap? I could talk to my school board of education to get days were we work on a green house or a garden and get younger kids involved. We could go around our community and even help other people we could construct a community garden so everyone could help if that didn’t work then

I could go to the Chickasaw nation considering that it is the closet tribe to have a headquarters near me. I would request if they had land and even green houses to help kids involved. They could even bring in livestock We could help animals recover from tragedies. We are just going to make generations healthier and improved How would I increase the knowledge of youth about the important role agriculture plays in every day life in my community? The school I go to has an agriculture class. We learn about a lot livestock and green houses The agriculture class for the younger kids should be more hands on so instead of book work all the time. When you do book work you think that is all there is going to be, but when you start hands on there will be interest in class and they will want to share what they learned with their friends then the friends will be interested to come and learn and want to take the class. Inspiring at a young age has a lot to do with their future and ours and many

more generations futures. I could get more youth involved in agriculture by having land with the school and having animals. There could be a little petting zoo with many animals. There could be chickens, cows, deer, horses any animals that we are available to have. They could come out and be interactive and learn great things were they would want to come back There could even be a tour and in the tour we could build a greenhouse. We can demonstrate on how we plant the plants and tell them what all the plants do and how we distinguish what season we need to plant or harvest. I would try my best to make them interested in agriculture and nature itself. I could increase the ability to feed ourselves from products. I would start off with growing and providing a safe, stable food supply. I would preserve foods like canning, or freezing I would also have a greenhouse open all year 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 9 Source: http://www.doksinet to keep the food available for family and friends. I

would contribute my knowledge with others about agriculture by letting them come and be hands on and help me. I could influence people to farm similar as grow crops or harvest and raise livestock. It is a lot safer and healthier to eat beef from the United States instead of it being imported to America. That reduces the chance of getting sick from unnatural substances Community service is a technique to help agriculture. Serving your local farms and volunteering at shelters and your local garden is an unlimited way to help the agriculture become healthier. Picking up trash on the sides of the roads to make them look presentable and to make your community to look respectable. That is all what I believe. There is just so much that we could do to help the individuals in the biosphere and the individuals in future. If we stand we could become great influences on generations on ending What we do and its right will show. Today’s work will show later give it time and it will indicate that

you could start something new so go out and make a stand. I appreciate this opportunity for you to letting me explain what I believe and what should be right for this world. I hope that someone understands where I am coming from and tries to get green houses at schools so they could help their school its even less money and the state has the requirements for healthy foods. It has to be served at schools so why not just grow the food instead of buying it, its less money and there are some kids that go to school that can’t even get a meal at night and with growing the foods you can just give kids some food so they would be able to eat and they will be happy and excited to eat at night and you don’t just have to grow vegetables you can also grow fruit. With that idea you would save so much money and make a lot of kids happy. Racquel Alec Hi my name is Racquel Alec, I am a young Native American. Currently I am a 9th grader at Sierra High School I have been involved in the agriculture

program since 7th grade. I’ve have been around horses since I was a baby, I started barrel racing at the age of 3. My 2 older sisters were involved in the FFA program were they showed steers and swine. My older sister was a rodeo chairman when she was in high school I am the current rodeo chairman for 2014/15. For the FFA float this year for homecoming I rode my horse through the parade caring the American flag Agriculture is one thing I have fun doing, it has taught me many new things. I love working with animals and learning new agriculture skills. Feeding the future is important because some people need to know about agriculture and how it all works. Because most of the stuff we use comes from farms and producers. So pretty much all the stuff we use in daily life comes from agriculture. Like as the clothes we wear the food we eat, the things we use for school, all the supplies we use for work and everyday use. What we eat is produced from farms they raise the animals for food Most

of our clothes are made from cotton; all the cotton comes from fields. Fruits are also grown on trees and vegetables are grown in fields by farmers in the agriculture communities. How I think I can get more youth involved in agriculture is to show them how fun it can be to be involved in Ag. There are many skills you learn from attending Ag classes. A few that we have at our school are, FFA Club which you can show animals in, Parley Pro, which teaches you talking in front of large crowds, we also have a heavy equipment class and welding class that teaches you skills to use on a farm or work place. We also have an annual Mother’s Day Rodeo at our school. One of the funniest is showing the animals So I could show the kids that there are many things they can learn and have fun doing in the Agriculture classes. It is important for young Native Americans to be involved in agriculture because having your own animal could teach you a lot of responsibilities. It could teach you how you are

not just caring for yourself but that you are 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 10 Source: http://www.doksinet responsible for something else that depends on you. When you have an animal you always have to feed it and if you don’t it could die. So it would teach you how to remember things like dont forget to feed the animal or water it. If it gets hurt you have to take care of its wound, clean it every day and make sure that it doesnt get infected Most importantly it gives you self-esteem when you take the time to work with an animal every day and achieve the goals you set. So having an animal teaches you many responsibilities, accountability and time management Which are skills we need as adults, it may be hard to take care of an animal but it is a good experience. This is why young Native should get involved in Ag the important skills that they can learn. In our world today there is only 72,000 Native Americans producing about 3.2 billion dollars in raw products, reported by American

Indian reservations. So we really don’t have a lot of Native Americans involved in agriculture. And less than 9% are younger than 35 years of age and 28% are older than 65 years of age All the natives that are involved in agriculture are older adults. So these statistics just shows that we need to get more youth involved. Why are many Native youth not involved? What I think I could do to fill the age gap in agriculture is first of all I would have to get young Native Americans to like being involved in agriculture classes, I could have a meeting showing them what agriculture is all about, and all the fun activities they could be involved in. To share my experiences with them and show them all the options they have out there for them. I know a lot of kids don’t want to be in agriculture because they think it is not cool, they associate most Ag kids are into animals and they have to have the money and place to keep the animal. Most often they are just not aware of the opportunities

that are out there in the Ag program because they don’t grow up in families that have animals or are involved in the Ag community. Most Native kids grow up on Reservations that are poor and don’t have the capability to care for the animals. They are uninformed that are Ag program at school offers a way for the kids to keep the animals at the school and care for them. However this can be hard for some kids Living in a rural area and not having rides to get to the school all the time. However we could offer a program that would bridge the cap for the youth and give in return to the elders. We could build a community area that the kids could keep their animals at and learn how to care and feed them. Accomplish their goals of showing them and in return when they go to market they could bring the meat back for the Elders and the community. This could also be done with a greenhouse for Fruits and Vegetables where both Adults and Kids can work together learning how to grow their own food

and raise their own animals which can be a healthy way of eating also. Showing them this can be a fun and healthy way of life It also gets them involved in other activities. For Natives that aren’t involved in sports this would give them other options to participate in activities and stay out of trouble. Most of all it follows the Circle of Life and teaching the importance of the land and the ways that learning Agriculture can build a community and bridge the gap for the youth. Places were elders and youth can come together and learn about Agriculture I believe that my involvement with Agriculture has given me the skills to help me achieve my goal, to follow my dreams to college and to Rodeo later. 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 11 Source: http://www.doksinet Kashaya Bill Hello my name is Kashaya, I am 17 years old and come from the Cortina band of the Wintun, a Native American tribe on the Northern California Coast. Throughout my life I have known family and friends from the

Grindstone Rancheria and people from the Colusa, Nomlaki, Pomo, Maidu, and Round Valley Indian tribes. My life has been greatly influenced by two things, my heritage and agriculture. My father, Doc Bill Jr is the chairman from the KED Board (Kletsel Economic Development Association) of our tribe. This means that my dad is in charge of a lot of money for our tribe’s economic policies. Recently my dad was talking to my brother and I about developing orchard or rice fields for our tribe. This would be a better idea instead of getting a casino because you would make more money and could feed our tribe with orchard produce and rice from the fields better than you could with a casino. Doing this would keep families in the tribe more balanced and tied together. People within the tribe could be employed to work in the rice fields and orchards instead of getting people outside the tribe to work them. This idea would not only benefit the tribe currency wise but also benefit them by having the

younger generations keep agriculture alive within our tribe and community. My father made a very valid point when we were talking. He said, “Kashaya all these ideas you and Dave are saying are great! The only problem is who is going to keep them going in a couple years? Who will be the one to take over and be in charge of the rice and orchard production, etc.? If I were to talk to the tribe about these ideas and we go through with them by the time everything underway us elder people won’t be able to do the hard work and labor that well. You younger kids need to get involved in the process so you guys can get it going and succeed.” This really caught my attention because it’s true. We as the younger generation need to step up and take charge for the future of our tribe and its agriculture relations and to further agriculture throughout the world. A way we could fill the gap in Indian agriculture is through FFA and 4-H. FFA is a national organization that reaches from the state

Alaska to Puerto Rice and the state of Maine to Hawaii. It teaches high school students to be involved in agriculture but it also teaches leadership, dedication, hard work, courtesy, and public speaking skills. FFA ranges from a lot of different activities but is grounded by agriculture and farming. 4H is a youth organization that teaches different activities such as sewing, cooking, knitting, singing and raising and showing animals. Being in FFA has taught me so much these past 4 years. I myself am actually the president this year, which is my senior year, for our local FFA chapter that is a very big accomplishment for me. Our Chapter has 20 members out of the 30 kids in our school about 10 of them are Native Americas. So agriculture is very important to all of us Within our chapter we don’t just serve and do things for the community and school but we also have different activities planned this year for the younger children is the “Elk Creek FFA Ag Day”. The Ag day is where all

of the FFA members get in different groups and teach the k-7th graders about different types of agriculture/shop related areas. This year there were many different stations, chickens (which I was in charge of), plant and soils, horses, donkeys, welding, tractors, working dogs, ducks, and last but not least turkeys and emus. At my station this year I asked the younger kids if any of them wanted to live on farms or such when they were older. I got many yes’s and many no’s I explained to the ones who wanted to live on farms that they would get the opportunity to raise their own animals and crops. I explained how that when you buy food products such and chicken, and different kinds of meats you don’t know what kind of hormones and steroids the animal was on. If you raise animals at home you know exactly what your animals are fed and what’s getting put into the meat you’re going to eat. The Ag Day last year was a great success and the young kids loved it. Our hope is that they

take what they learned and incorporate it into their lifestyles when they get older. Going forward this year we have talked about bringing the Native American kids to the green house to teach them about how to grow different types of plants and vegetables and medicinal plants. Different types of medicinal 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 12 Source: http://www.doksinet plants include Aloe Vera, which can be used for sunburns or different types of burns. Also another type of medicinal plant is basil, which can be used for natural anti-inflammatory. I believe that this will help the younger generation not just by it being Ag related but also because it can be culture related too. We could ask the elders in the communities what some different types of medicinal plants are then figure out what we need to grow them. After they are grown we could distribute them to the children and the leftovers to the community. To me all this means that we need to stay together as one. Keep agriculture going

and keep getting the younger generations involved so that they don’t grow up to not know what agriculture is. It’s sad when a person doesn’t know agriculture and how it affects the world. Kasey Jo Blevins I would like to introduce myself to you, I am Salish and Kootenai and my given name is Kasey Jo Blevins. I have learned that it is important to always remember who I am and where I come from. I am writing this essay to share with you what the theme “Feeding the Future & Filling the Age Gap in Indian Agriculture” means to me. All my life, I have been taught the importance of taking care of our land. It is in order to feed our future generations You see, my grandmother has a job with the Natural resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and she is a State Tribal Liaison who helps Tribes and tribal agriculture producers keep their land healthy and productive in order to feed animals and families. I have had the opportunity to work for NRCS for two summers as an Earth Team

volunteer Working as an Earth Team volunteer, for NRCS has given me the opportunity to share with my friends and fellow students that there are good jobs available to join in making our soils healthy so we can help feed our families. I talk about how important it is all the time to my friends in 4-H. This past summer I was selected to represent my 4-H chapter at the Oklahoma Agriculture Leadership conference and my focus was to encourage my fellow youth to stay active in agriculture. I am also part of the youth group at my Rawhide Cowboy Church and we talk about the importance of taking care of our animals and the land that will feed our people. This is the first year that my High School has had an agriculture teacher and program and I am actively involved in animal science and learning all I can because I want to be a veterinarian. I cannot think of a better way that I can help agriculture than help our producers have healthy cattle to feed America. The best way I can help fill the

gap of youth in agriculture is to be actively involved and be a leader to promote youth to become involved in agriculture. This next spring, I will be attending the Choctaw Nation Youth Summit, as an Earth Team Volunteer and I will have the opportunity to share with over 1100 high school students on what I am doing as a volunteer that helps promote agriculture and preserve our land for the future. Hopeful sharing my experience will encourage them to follow my lead. My high school is located in a rural community where the population is over 70% American Indians and we are working hard to develop our new agriculture program so that the younger students will get involved when they get in high school. I and 35 other students are working to raise funds to restore an old barn so we can have a 4-H barn on campus so we can learn as much as we can before we enter 4-H contests. In my animal science class, we were in the process of hatching chicks to raise and we were working on restoring an old

barn; then and we realized we had no funds. My school is considered poverty country and we do not have funds to do all the things we would like to do but together we can raise funds to keep it going. I took a leadership role and I made a presentation to the Oklahoma Tribal Conservation Advisory Council board on what my school wanted to do to restore the barn and why. The board agreed to fund the Mill Creek agriculture program with a $50000 grant To my school it was like getting a million dollars. I have also been working with my agriculture teacher to have speakers come into our high school to prove education on healthy soil and how to do pasture assessments so we can learn how to manage our 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 13 Source: http://www.doksinet pasture and cropland to feed American. The key to keeping youth involved in agriculture should start early; fifth grade and up. I realize that feeding America is in my hands and other youth and I hope that sharing my story can reach other

youth that will be challenged to work hard in their tribal community to start and keep agriculture education in their community. This next summer I will have the opportunity to work with the Chickasaw Nation on developing their community garden and I want to bring that knowledge back to my school and community to start our own community garden. I live on a small farm and I take help take care of all our animals. My family is first and my friends are my horse, Woodrow, and my dogs Cole and Duke. I am an American Indian youth who is committed to doing my part to feeding the future and fill the gap in Indian Agriculture. Thank you for the opportunity to tell my story Jared Burrows I am from the Grindstone Indian Rancheria, a reservation where everybody knows everybody. I live on a dry land with a running creek. We have a Round House for spiritual events, and I also attend church with my family At the best of times, our community comes together and supports one another. We know each

other, through times when we come together in sorrow. My people have known hard times We have the highest diabetes rate of any tribe in California; we have members who struggle with alcoholism and substance abuse, and every one of us is affected by this in some way or another. We are also a people with many good traditions that can help shape our future We have volleyball tournaments everywhere, and both the men and women make beautiful beaded items. The women cook wonderful tasting food and put good meals on the table for the men and their children. Most importantly we have strong traditions of supporting one another. I am a young Native American who has grown up with these tribal traditions in an agricultural community that has many of its own traditions. Long ago, when the white settlers first came to this area, my people worked with ranchers. My mother told me that our family name, “Burrows,” is actually the name of the ranchers my ancestors worked with. This tradition of

agriculture is woven into my bones I’m a proud Future Farmers of America member and hold the role of Reporter for my organization. My favorite classes at school are agricultural, and I like science best of all. I like raising chickens and watching our meat chickens hatch and grow and go through the life cycle I also enjoy welding and going to welding competitions with my classmates. My Ag teacher, Mr Minto, is a role model for me and has taught me many things. He’s taught me how to weld, about animal husbandry and the anatomy of a chicken different from a human. Most importantly, he has taught me about being an effective leader, and how listening to others and gaining their knowledge and taking their perspective is part of being a leader. I have another important teacher in my life, and that is my mother. Although I come from a tradition where women are expected to take responsibility for men, my mother is a leader. She has learned all she can so that her kids can have a better

life than she has had. She is fearless about anything stopping her and has courage to keep moving toward creating better life for her children. She had taught me to respect others and never give up on family She has also taught me to respect my culture deeply but not to let certain ways keep me from growing. She has done this by example. For instance, she’s taught me to never give up on your goals She’s also taught me not to judge others on the outside because people might be something else on the inside. How has all of these influences prepared me for a career in agriculture? Through my ag classes, I know that there are many types of agricultural job. I know these opportunities for me I also know that I can be an ambassador for 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 14 Source: http://www.doksinet agriculture by sharing with other Native American students on the reservation that there are not just agricultural jobs that are low paying but also many jobs in agriculture that they would love

and that pay well. For example, today I was the chairman of an Agricultural Field Day at my high school and responsible for organizing and ensuring smooth transition between the activities that we created for 60 elementary students. Most of these students are Native American, and as they saw me present about agriculture, I hope that it gave them ideas about trying to be involved in ag classes when they reach high school. I want to encourage my younger siblings and cousins to get involved in FFA and 4-H, which have helped me understand the importance of community service and have also made my school years more fun. I hope to also get more of our Elders involved in agriculture. For example, I will share with my Elders the various wood types and plant types that baskets could be made from. I can also encourage them to share with me and teach me about plants in our area that have traditionally been used for medicine, like sage. I know they’ll be proud and give me strength as I pursue my

dream of studying agriculture in college. I hope to be an Ag mechanic, which will allow me the option of staying here or going out of state to work in the field of agriculture. I know I’ll be successful. I know that I’ll make my family proud I know this because I’m working hard in my classes. Some of this means that I’m making up for time that I’ve wasted in the past When I began high school, I didn’t have a dream and goals like I have now. I also know that nothing will be just handed to me; I have to work for what I want I can rely on myself to get the job done, but I can rely on my family members, my teachers and extended family members to remind me that I can do this. I also know that I can draw on the strength of not only what I already know but also what I will learn. I look forward to the future that agriculture holds. There will be new technology and resources for the next generation. I want to be part of this and help develop our tribal lands and make them better I

hope that I can help establish our own growing site at Grindstone Rancheria for natural medicines that our people need. I hope to help develop some of our flat land across our creek for habitat for the native deer, pigs, coyotes and birds I grew up with. I have big dreams, and through agriculture, I will accomplish them Caitlin Duentes Agriculture; Today in Alaska, Tomorrow on The Moon “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” -Audrey Hepburn A year ago, like any other teenager, I’d never given gardening much thought. Who knew how far my food came from? In fact my diet hardly consisted of fresh food at all. I knew most food came from huge farms far away and no one I knew cared. I’d watched health videos about the stuff found in store bought products, rat feces for example, but never thought I could do anything about it. After all agriculture is to teenagers, as Facebook is to elders I would like to tell the story of how I came to love gardening through early child hood

memories, a great summer experience, and also how that gave me direction in life. When I was young I grew up in the small Athabascan village Tyonek, Alaska. I have many memories, in those early years at my home, of my grandma in her garden. During summer me and my little brothers went with our grandparents to live at our fish camp. There we caught salmon and filled our smokehouse, a way of life passed down from our ancestors. Behind our cabin was where my grandma had her strawberry patch When we would sneak and eat strawberries Grandma would catch us every time and scold us, “Those berries are for making jam!" she would say. She never knew how to grow anything but strawberries and potatoes, so I always promised her I 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 15 Source: http://www.doksinet would grow her a big garden one day, that had all kinds of food. Near the end of my time in Tyonek my papa cleared an area so I could have my own garden. He cut thick stakes, drove them into the ground,

and fastened an old salmon net around them for a fence. It was great to have my own garden where I could grow food for grandma, unfortunately my brothers, mom, and I moved to the city soon after. I never got grow my grandma’s garden, and I eventually forgot I ever wanted to. Seven years later as the airplane finally landed on the Tyonek airstrip, my heart was still soaring. As I look around everything seemed so different and I wondered if I’d be able to do all the things I wanted before I had to return to the city and get a summer job. At fish camp my garden was as I left it except it had grown over with weeds and the stakes were in bad condition, I was reminded of my unkept promise to Grandma. Days went by, as my grandma had my brothers restore the garden to its original condition, and I felt bad because I didnt know how to garden and had no time to learn. If I had not learned about the summer job with the Tyonek Tribal Conservation District, as a garden hand, my garden would have

been left empty yet again. I applied, got the job, and was given permission to stay in Tyonek for the summer! I’d be able to work, learn about gardening, and grow a huge garden for my grandma. I worked with other girls from the village that I grew up with, and our supervisor Nicole Swenson an ecologist with TTCD. She eventually became a very valued teacher to me Soon I learned that all our crops were started in the very school I went to as a child Tebughna elementary, cared for by us teenagers in the community, sold to the villagers, and donated to the elders. Mornings in the garden were probably the most peaceful in my life When I close my eyes its as if I am still breathing the crisp Alaskan air, I can see the glare of the sun through the nearby birch trees, and hear Nicole exclaiming that the tomatoes have grown fat and red. Every day during my summer job I learned more about gardening and saw my people smile when they ate our food. Gardening was taking root in my heart. Seeing

seeds sprout began to amaze me. I would watch plants grow for hours, and would spend most of my time in the garden. I grew to love growing everything, because every plant has a secret How many people know that potato plants have flowers, only one ear of corn can grow on a single stalk, and that nasturtiums have flowers that are edible? Nicole taught me about watering, pollination, germination, and soil galore! One day, while by the lake next the village garden, Nicole was teaching us about water bugs and we saw something rare. A young dragonfly about as big as my pinky, but not yet with wings. We picked it up to study in a bucket of water, trying to keep it submerged so we wouldn’t hurt it, and we noticed it kept climbing away from the water. Once we put it back in the lake it yet again climbed it’s way to shore, ready to begin its next stage of life. It was then, for the first time, I had a good idea of what I wanted to do in life. Although I have many years till I get there,

gardening showed me I want to be a scientist and watch my food grow along with my peoples’ agriculture. The age gap is filling already! People are becoming educated and interested in agriculture starting with Tebughna Elementary, with me, and with the Tyonek Community Garden. It is Nicole’s hope, mine as well, that what Tyonek has will spread throughout Alaska and one day all the villages can be self sustaining. People that care enough can find ways to grow food in even the most northern regions. Growing food in Barrow can lead to growing food anywhere! If I can expose children to gardens, like my grandma and nicole did for me, I know agriculture will grow as tall as corn, as sweet as cherry tomatoes, and as magically as a dragonfly getting its wings. 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 16 Source: http://www.doksinet Savannah Harrison There are many challenges facing our world today, and according to Jonathan Foley, Director of the Institute on the Environment at the University of

Minnesota, feeding the world’s population is the biggest challenge of all (Buczynski, 2011). Foley describes three agricultural challenges that must be addressed: 1. 2. 3. Feeding Current Demands. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, 870 million people of 7.1 billion people in the world go hungry each night (wwwworldhungerorg, 2013) Foley also addresses the issue of unnecessary obesity in the world which also affects supply and demand of food. Meeting future Demands. Foley predicts that by 2050, the world population will be greater than 9 billion people. In order to meet this food supply demand, he estimates that we would need to double our current food productions. Making Agriculture Truly Sustainable. Foley states that combined, “agriculture takes up 40 percent of all habitable land on the planet, 70 percent of all water resources, and 35 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions as a result of deforestation, methane release from cattle, and nitrous

oxide emissions from chemical fertilizers” Foley suggest that in order to solve these three aspects of agriculture, organic farmers, biotechnology companies, and large food manufacturers must work together to provide the most abundant and highest quality food while protecting our environment. Native Americans have always displayed an important role in feeding our country and world. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, however, Native Americans have lost over 375,000 farms since 1982. This is equivalent to a 15 percent reduction and a loss of over 72 million acres of land. With a growing population, there will always be a continuous demand for farmers and ranchers. Everyone knows how important the demand for food is, but what about the supply? If no one supplies the food where will it come from? If all of our knowledge about the land, farms and ranches dies with our ancestors who’s to replace them? In addition to less Native American farms, it is also a growing trend that

youth are not following in the footsteps of their ancestors and continuing the tradition of farming. According to the 2012 Ag Census, there are just over 58,000 Native American operators. Of these, 10 percent are under the age of 34 years, 36 percent are 35-54 years old, 43 percent are 55-74 years old, and 11 percent are over the 74. This is an alarming trend as it is obvious that fewer farmers cannot keep up with the demands of food supply. In order to fill the age gap, we must educate our youth and provide them with knowledge and skills involving agriculture. Youth in rural areas benefit from summer opportunities working on farms and in produce stands This one-on-one interaction with farmers and ranchers provides hands-on experience necessary to work in the area of agriculture. “City kids” may not have the same agricultural experience as those in rural areas, but there are opportunities for learning that can take place. For example, a small garden, raised beds, or container

plants may be grown in back yards or on patios. Rooftop gardens are also popular in large cities Communities can come together by hosting community service opportunities that allow more people to learn about agriculture. Seed and plant exchanges can be hosted in neighborhoods. Collaboration between organizations can provide added resources that help students learn more about agriculture. 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 17 Source: http://www.doksinet Another reason youth are moving away from farming and ranching is due to low profit. When 74 percent of producers receive less than $10,000 annually from the sale of agriculture products (2012 Census of Agriculture), it is difficult to retain farmers of any age. This is a huge discourager and must be addressed by our government This is just one reason why it is important to educate all youth about agriculture. We need lawyers and lobbyists who will represent the needs of farmers and ranchers in order to provide for the needs of all people. 4H

and FFA provide excellent ways to raise knowledge among youth. Encouraging students to work on agriculture 4H projects to enter in the county and state fairs helps them to gain knowledge while having fun. I have had the opportunity to work with younger children in regards to beef production. Volunteering as a presenter for the 4-H Afterschool Program in our community would also allow me to share my experiences with others. As a member of FFA, my first assignment was to learn the National FFA Creed. The creed begins with “I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deed- achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists.” FFA supports many programs that provide ways for teens to learn more about agriculture As an FFA member, I have not only participated in livestock shows, but also am a member of the Ag-Issues team, and have done many individual speeches. A National FFA Hunger Program called Feeding our World Starting at Home

provides funding for FFA chapters to begin hunger projects by partnering with local community members and businesses to host educational workshops in areas such as raised bed gardens, vegetables for school lunches, container gardens, chickens and eggs, and tilapia and trout. These would be great projects for myself as well as other members of our FFA chapter to take on. Our local Johnson O’Malley program can easily provide educational programs through field trips, videos, and inviting guest speakers from different agricultural areas to share their experiences and stories. As a Native American, I am increasing my knowledge through the research I have done for essays such as this one. In order to increase or ability to feed ourselves from products we are growing, we must continue to provide programs for current Native American farmers to give them knowledge on how to better farm the land, produce larger yields, and ultimately make the largest profit possible. If tribes began to

purchase more agricultural land and the necessary technology for large scale production, a partnership between the tribe and tribal farmers and ranchers would increase produce while decreasing the cost for the farmers and ranchers. As a citizen, it is my duty to make sure I vote for policies and leaders that consider agriculture a primary issue. Regardless of whether one plans to have a career in agriculture or not, we must all take responsibility for our present and future food needs. References Buczynski, Beth. (2001) Feeding the Future without Trashing the Planet Retrieved on October 24, 2014 from http:// www.care2com/greenliving/live-from-sxsw-eco-feeding-the-future-without-trashing-the-planethtml Hunger Notes. (2013) 2013 World Hunger and Poverty Facts and Statistics Retrieved on October 24, 2014 from http:// www.worldhungerorg/articles/Learn/world%20%hunger%20facts%20002htm United States Data. (2012) 2012 Census of Agriculture Retrieved on October 23, 2014 from

http://wwwagcensususdagov/ Publications/2012/Full Report/Volume 1, Chapter 1 US/st99 1 063 063.pdf 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 18 Source: http://www.doksinet Corrina Karrer I saw a man living on the street; he was sitting against the wall of the grocery store. His only possessions were a sleeping bag, and an old duffel bag. The man was thin, his clothes worn, and soiled, he was not well groomed and he had few of his teeth left. Starving people, poverty and health issues These are some of the things our people face without a future in agriculture. My name is Corrina Karrer, and I am a strong supporter in agricultural development I may not live on a farm, but I have raised livestock animals, and I am well aware of the importance of agriculture and the growing needs to be fulfilled. I believe in the future of agriculture, but to believe, we must first educate Without food we cannot live, we buy most of our food at a store. The cans of food you put in your shopping cart, start out as a

seed planted in the soil. I intend to plant seeds, not just corn, or tomato seeds, but seeds of education We need to educate to bridge the age gap between generations of farmers, we need to educate to raise awareness in young people, and we need to educate to feed or tribes, our community and America. Why is there little variety in ages involved in agriculture? Because the popularity of the job field of agriculture is decreasing. Less than 9% of Native American agriculturalists are younger than 35 years of age, while 28% are over 65 years old. To bridge this gap the solution is simple, we need to communicate and share this valuable knowledge with others: a career in agriculture does not always mean farming, for example, it can be marketing, product management, sales, leadership and more. If more people knew this, it would be more likely that they would find a job that fits their interests and their needs. With a growing population, there becomes a greater need for food, therefore

agriculture is forever improving. This leads to new ideas of how to produce and sell more food We must educate, and strive to plant seeds in people’s minds, not just one community or tribe, but everywhere you go. By being enthusiastic and passionate about agriculture and spreading our excitement, we can spark interest in communities, and encourage people to pursue that interest. Soon this will lead to the creation of more agriculturalists, if we plant seeds in our communities and tribes and educate more people about the future in agriculture, there will be more people going into this field. We will be able to work together to grow, tend, harvest, market, and sell food. If we work together we can feed our tribes and America Living in Washington state all my life, my family did not farm, but I was introduced to agriculture by a program called FFA. I consider myself a thriving member of the FFA program at Sumner High School Agriculture means a lot to me. To me, agriculture means meeting

new people, trying new things, competing with other teams, and spending time with the people and animals you care about. Growing crops, and tending to animals is not the only opportunity agriculture has to offer. There are many leadership opportunities for youth in agriculture as well FFA is a huge part of these opportunities for students in high school. In my high school career I have been a part of 9 different career development events (CDE’s), one of which I have gotten the honor of competing at the national level. These events, such as prepared public speaking, and meats judging, teach skills that they can take with them and use for the rest of their lives. As an FFA officer (sentinel), part of my job, includes coordinating events, fundraisers, and recruiting new members to be a part of the FFA. By recruiting new members at my school, more students are educated about the necessities of agriculture. FFA informs students about agriculture, and starts them in the path of

agriculture, even those who have not had any experience in it at all. FFA offers so many job opportunities in agriculture, all young leaders have to do is get students involved in the FFA, and get them to try new CDE’s this way they may find a specific CDE that they are interested in, and they may pursue this interest as a job. FFA sparks an interest, and passion for agriculture in these new members as it has done for me, and they may too seek to find their place in their community as an agriculturalist. Imagine picking up a can of corn from the store, do you think about where it came from? The same with steaks, and cereal. In order to provide food for not only our families and tribes, we need to increase awareness We need to 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 19 Source: http://www.doksinet explain that things they bought from the store came from the decreasing amount of farms. They came from the vast fields of corn, the endless fields of wheat, and the open pastures of grazing cattle. In

30 years the amount of farms has decreased by over 15 percent. Encouraging people to join agriculture business, will increase farms If we are passionate enough, and tell enough people, we are bound to create interest in those people, and world will spread like a wildfire, until more and more people start their farming career. We need more people to be passionate enough about the health of our tribes, to go out and put in the work to create farms, raise animals, grow crops, and sell them to the public. The demand for food only grows, with the population When people realize this and see the growing need for food in our country, they will recognize the future they may have in agriculture, and it is my hope that they will have the drive to buy a piece of land and help feed our people. With more agriculturalists growing food for our country and our tribes, there will be more food, less starvation, less health issues, and less suffering. With more passionate people educating others, the word

of agriculture will spread, and inspire others, thus creating more agricultural business. By interacting with our communities and our tribes we can bridge the age gap between generations of farmers, we can raise awareness in young people, and we can feed or tribes, our community and America. Edwin Moore The future of American Indian agriculture is in a dire situation. With less than 9% of American Indian producers 35 years of age or younger, it is uncertain whether there will be a sustained future at all. We, the American Indian youth of today, are tasked with the challenge of sustaining agriculture throughout our generation and helping to set the stage for Indian agriculture to continue for many generations after us. As American Indian youth, we have the responsibility of making sure that agriculture is sustained among our people. Clearly, we must make several changes in policy towards American Indians in agriculture to help ensure their survival and we must be inclusive of all

American Indian people in our efforts to sustain American Indians in agriculture. The theme of this essay, “Feeding the Future and Filling the Age Gap in Indian Agriculture”, has an incredible meaning to me. As the son of a fourth generation farmer, and a proud member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, this topic hits close to home for me. I have lived on a family farm in southeastern North Carolina my entire life until recently moving to Durham, North Carolina to attend a public residential high school with an emphasis on science, math, engineering, and technology. My early memories from my childhood include showing heifers in the county fair, and riding the tobacco cropper with my daddy. In addition, a great number of my extended family is involved in agriculture in some shape or form. All of my life I have been immersed in agriculture. For my family, and for most American Indian farmers, farming isn’t just a profession; farming is a way of life. Despite my great

appreciation and deep family roots in farming and agriculture, I never considered a career in farming or agriculture period when I was younger. I knew what the life of a farmer was like, and I knew it was not for me. I understood the importance of agriculture and had great respect for the field, but until recently I didn’t know how I could contribute to helping feed the world. This all changed when I had the opportunity to write a research paper for and participate in the Global Youth Institute at the World Food Prize in Des Moines, Iowa, along with hundreds of other high school students from across the world. The conference and the 2014 Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium focused on the theme “The Greatest Challenge in Human History: Can we sustainably feed the 9 billion people on our planet by the year 2050?” and the Global Youth Institute participants had the opportunity to interact with world leaders and experts in the field of agriculture and food security. By

participating in the Global Youth Institute I learned how I, a teenager from a rural farming community in North Carolina, could help feed the world. Despite growing up on a farm and 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 20 Source: http://www.doksinet being immersed in agriculture my entire life, it was this experience that helped me to understand that I could be a part of and make a difference in agriculture and food security, even if I didn’t become a farmer. I discovered that I could make a difference in agriculture as a diplomat in the Foreign Service, as an aid worker in the USAID, or even as a United States Senator. Agriculture is a broad field, and we don’t just need American Indian farmers, we need American Indians involved in every facet of agriculture. To understand what we need to do to fix the problem of a decreasing percentage of young American Indians in agriculture, we must first learn how we got in this situation in the first place. Many predominately American Indian

communities across the United States are traditional farming communities. These communities sustained themselves in the past through subsistence farming; everyone farming enough to feed their families and their neighbors. As farming became increasingly commercialized, many American Indian farmers were pushed out of farming as a profession because they didn’t have the resources available to them to purchase new equipment and land to help them keep up in a competitive market. To help farmers in this situation, the United States Department of Agriculture installed credit programs to help farmers. However, Native Americans were discriminated against because of their race in these programs, and were often denied loans that were vital to the success of their careers in agriculture (The United States District Court for the District of Columbia). As a result of being denied loans and credit assistance from the USDA based on their race, American Indian farmers were at a severe disadvantage in

establishing farms and other agricultural businesses. This disadvantage continues to affect older American Indian farmers that experienced discrimination, therefore making it more difficult for their children to enter into agriculture as farmers. In 2011, the class action suit of Keepseagle v Vilsack was settled in federal court, and the USDA was required to pay $760 million to settle the lawsuit (Keepseagle v. Vilsack Settlement) Native American farmers who experienced discrimination filed claims to receive payments from the settlement. However, many claimants were wrongly denied. These wrongful denials based upon arbitrary and irrelevant subtleties in the claimants documentation of discrimination. Currently, there is approximately $380 million in “cy pres funds” left over from the settlement. Claimants that were unsuccessful should be allowed to submit their claims again so that they are rightly compensated for the discrimination they have faced and the irreparable harm it has

caused them and their families. The proven discrimination and institutionalized racism against American Indians by governmental agencies such as the USDA is one of the many reasons why we face the dilemma of the increasing age gap in Indian agriculture today. When American Indians are denied the same opportunities as other people, the harm done cannot be fixed by one lawsuit. There is a critical lack of American Indian leaders in positions of authority in governmental agencies that are tasked with helping farmers and sustaining agriculture in the United States. For example, the USDA employees over 105,000 people (Sharockman), but the USDA Office of Tribal Relations currently only has three employees (United States Department of Agriculture). Therefore the percentage of employees in the USDA that are dedicated to tribal relations is 0.003% The lack of sufficient staff that is dedicated to tribal relations and “filling the age gap in Indian agriculture” is one of the reasons that

there is such a large age gap in the first place. The USDA and other governmental agencies need to have American Indians in the leadership to ensure that discrimination does not occur again and that the needs of American Indians in agriculture are at the forefront of those agency’s missions. To fill the age gap in Indian agriculture, we must be inclusive of all American Indians, regardless of their tribe’s federal status. Many programs for American Indian farmers and American Indian youth are restricted to members of federally recognized tribes. These programs exist to help keep current American Indian farmers in the profession and to encourage American Indian youth to consider careers in agriculture. If American Indians who are not 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 21 Source: http://www.doksinet members of federally recognized tribes are denied participation in these programs, then a significant number of American Indians are not being reached in the mission to fill the age gap in

agriculture. Many state-recognized tribes, such as my own tribe, have been wrongly denied recognition by the federal government for over a century, and therefore we do not have access to the programs the government creates. The designation of federally recognized or non-federally recognized creates a division among American Indian people. The federal government has no right to determine who is considered American Indian, and by using the government’s designations as federally recognized or non-federally recognized we are allowing the government to impede on our rights as sovereign nations that we should enjoy as American Indian people. Being a member of a federally recognized tribe does not make one more of an American Indian, neither does being a member of a non-federally recognized tribe make one less of American Indian. If we really going to tackle the issue of the age gap in Indian agriculture, then we must be inclusive of all American Indians in this effort. Overall, the

challenges that American Indians face are rooted in a long history, and many changes must be made to correct what is wrong. American Indian youth, as the leaders of tomorrow, have the responsibility to ensure that farming and agriculture is not something we teach about in history classes, or in an exhibit in a museum. Agriculture has been a part of our culture for centuries, and we have a duty to ensure the continuation of agriculture in our societies. The challenges we face are great, but as American Indian people we will persevere in the face of adversity. Works Cited Keepseagle v. Vilsack Settlement “Frequently Asked Questions” Keepseagle v Vilsack Settlement. Indian Farm Class, nd Web 1 Nov 2014 Sharockman, Aaron. “George LeMieux Says USDA Employs 1 Person for Every 30 Farmers” PolitiFact Florida. PolitiFact Florida, nd Web 1 Nov 2014 The United States District Court For The District Of Columbia. “Keepseagle v Vilsack Settlement Agreement.” Keepseagle v Vilsack

Settlement Indian Farm Class, n.d Web 1 Nov2014 United States Department of Agriculture. “Contact OTR” United States Department of Agriculture. United States Department of Agriculture, nd Web 1 Nov 2014 Harold Naneng The Indian Agriculture provides a unified effort to promote change in Indian Agriculture for the benefit of Indian people. Intertribal Agriculture Council conducts programs designed to further the goal of improving Indian Agriculture. The IAC promotes the Indian Resources and contracts with federal agencies to maximize resources for tribal members. The protection and appropriate us of Natural resources of the remaining Indian lands are of critical importance to the IAC and all of Indian Country. Protecting the resources is a part of virtually every project undertaken by the IAC. Some specific programs directed at a resource protection includes the Reservation Resource Planning Initiative mandated by the American Indian Agriculture Management Act of 1993 and

implemented by many tribes, some with IAC technical assistance. Local control and decision making on development and use of the resources is critical to their availability for future generations. Key planning elements in off-reservation communities is the soil water conservation district. Natural resource conservation service activities create the long term resource plan. What all this means to me is a mission to complete the Indian Agriculture and fill the age gap. To express the Indian Agriculture and help fulfill any missing pieces in this culture. To learn what it’s like to be a part of something you’ve been put in because somewhere out there, there are people and communities that need help with taking care of things they can’t get to. And to know how much people will be cared for throughout this activity 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 22 Source: http://www.doksinet What I could do to fill the age gap is to have all Indian people get in a group and speak with them about what

they think is, or has to happen to keep their culture alive and spread as life goes on. Help them get more American Indians to get in their group and learn more about what they could do to make their community better. Because the American Indian people have an amazing culture, we are great people and we bring a lot of good things to our world. Our culture is one of beauty and value and we have really great performances when we dance It would be very beneficial if we share our native dance with other communities around the world. I have had the opportunity to watch the AFN Convention (Alaska Federation of Natives) happening in the future and have people around the world be inspired by the dances they show and perform. I would get more youth involved in the agriculture process by creating better educational opportunities for youth. I would have American Indian teachers teach their own children, grandchildren and other American Indian people teach them about our own culture. We have

perpetuated a cycle in our culture where we rely on outside people groups to come into our schools and teach our children. If we developed programs that gave incentive for homegrown people to go to college and come back to their hometowns to teach, we would be a better society as a whole for it. In my Native culture we still rely very heavily on subsistence hunting, fishing and farming. We do not live in a completely westernized society where we can get all the food we need from a grocery store. If moose, caribou and seal are not caught that year, families will be at the mercy of their neighbors to make sure they survive. If we did not have the knowledge of subsistence living passed down to us by our elders we would not survive. Also, within our future generations and teach them the ways to become one and have then to know how things will go to spread to others and keep their culture alive. Victoria E. North Peigan Sho’da, my name is Victoria “Tori” Emily Faith North Peigan. My

Crow name is bakaa’itchish “Gives Good Gifts,” and my parents are Anne Old Crow and Jeffery North Peigan. My Grandparents are Adella Spooted horse and Newton Old Crow; I am a junior at Lodge Grass High School and am a proud member of the Apsaalooke (Crow) and Pikuni (Blackfeet) tribe. Agriculture is a major economic factor on the Crow Indian Reservation. However, facts state that roughly 91% of Native American’s involved in agriculture are over 35 years old, while only 9% are younger than the age of 35. What this means to me is we as the younger generation of American Indians need to fill the age gap in Indian Agriculture, and get the other younger generations more involved and excited about agriculture because of how important agriculture is. Agriculture is the backbone of the economic system of a given country In addition to providing food and raw material, agriculture also provides employment opportunities to a very large percentage of our population. People need to eat, and

agriculture provides almost all food people demand Without agriculture we wouldn’t have all the things we have today like clothing, food, shelter, and everything in between. This world changes rapidly every day and agriculture is what keeps it spinning. Agriculture had definitely made its impact on my life, not only because it’s what keeps me as well as billions of other’s alive, but because I have personally developed a passion for agriculture through Future Farmers of America (FFA). I’ve been raised around a horse environment, with the exception being my brother, Rudy, who raised cattle since I was about 5 years old. I never really had interest in learning about agriculture until I was in the 8th grade Rudy was in the Little Big Horn Lodge Grass FFA as well and wanted me to join since had heard the chapter had 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 23 Source: http://www.doksinet been reestablished. I think that if it weren’t for my brother, I probably would not have an interest in

agriculture Since being introduced to agriculture I have learned so much not only agriculture but also about leadership, responsibility, and service which I know will help me in future as an agricultural educator. Being a role model I can play a huge role in helping fill the age gap in Indian agriculture. If I can show the younger generation the reasons why I have grown a passion for agriculture I think I can spark their interest to learn more about it. I also believe that if I can be more involved in agriculture, it would help fill the age gap FFA is a really great way to inform and get youth more involved in agriculture. It had definitely helped spur my interest in agriculture through the many things it has offered me. One of which is a Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Having an SAE is a great way to get the youth involved with agriculture. For example, I’ve raised market swine for the past three summers and market sheep for the past two; next year I plan on taking market

swine and market beef. My SAE has not only helped me learn responsibility but it has also showed me the struggle, passion and dedication that come along with working in agriculture. If the Native American youth can see what agriculture has to offer first and I strongly believe that I would be very essential in improving the age gap. Along the lines of increasing the knowledge of the youth and community of my reservation about the important role agriculture plays is something that I would say I am currently exploiting. Being an active member in my FFA chapter gives me the opportunity to increase the knowledge in my community by recruiting new members, being on the newspaper monthly, and talking with the youth about what agriculture is about. Being in the FFA has given me the rare opportunity to be an advocate not just in my school, but in my community and reservation as well. When I have the chance to speak with members of my community they ask questions regarding FFA and agriculture,

which has given me a number of opportunities in increasing the knowledge of the youth on my reservation about how vital agriculture is in our everyday life. My future plans also include educating about agriculture. After I finish high school I plan on attending Montana Sate University majoring in Agricultural Education. I believe when I am an Agriculture Teacher I will have the ability to educate the students such as me, who were not raised in a big agricultural background, but willing to learn about agriculture and about how crucial it is. If I can do this on a reservation school I strongly trust that it would increase the knowledge of the youth about how important agriculture is on our reservation. A great way to provide a safe stable food supply is by carefully planning and conducting a farmers market some time during the summer. If I can conduct a farmers market I will be able to assure my community and reservation a constant healthy food supply. I believe if I am able to succeed

at providing a farmers market, I will be able to not only assure them that we can provide locally grown healthy foods and products, but I will be able to be an example to the youth of our community and show them that we can implement good things in our community. If this was an annual farmers market, I have confidence that would reassure my tribal community that we are able to provide our own commerce and small business that can be so crucial in our community. In conclusion, if the Native American youth can see that a young lady such as myself, not raised on a farm or ranch, and not raised in a big agriculture environment can gain a passion for agriculture maybe they can thoroughly believe they can as well. I strongly believe that if I am able to implement and obtain all of these goals I have discussed, I trust that we as the younger generation can and will fill the age gap in American Indian Agriculture. “I believe that American agriculture can and will hold true to the best

traditions of our national life and that I can exert an influence in my home and community which will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task” 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 24 Source: http://www.doksinet -5th Paragraph of the FFA Creed written by E.M Tiffany Casey Old Horn When thinking about what feeding the future and filling the age gap in Indian agriculture means I realize that this is what I am currently doing as a sixteen year old young adult on the Crow reservation in Montana. I raise cattle this has always been a career that I have wanted to do. I enjoy all aspects of beef ranching from calving to shipping and everything in between. So far in my teen years I have been fortunate enough to gain many skills needed to be a successful rancher from my grandfather Steve Amyotte who was at one time rancher although he gave ranching up he still pursues a sizable haying operation for his horses and for profit through him I have learned how to put up hay. I have also worked for

different local ranches through them I have also learned other skills essential for ranching. It is estimated that by 2050 the world population with nine billion people as farmers and ranchers we are responsible for feeding those nine billion people. With that being said how can we prepare ourselves now as producers to support he world? First we need more farmers and ranchers. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack recently said, “the United States will need ‘100,000’ new farmers over the next few years.” This leads to the age gap statistics that show the average age of a U.S farmer is 65 and older For every-one farmer and rancher under the age of 25, there are five who are 75 or older according to USDA statistics. There are various programs that promote farming and ranching such as the National Young Coalition and the National FFA Organization through these programs many farmers and ranchers will be raised. Personally I spread information regarding farming and ranching to

non-agriculturist in hopes to fully involve them in agriculture production. Farming and ranching requires land, machinery, determination and many other personal traits. Personal traits include responsibility, strong work ethic, persistence, and, most importantly a strong passion for what you do as a farmer/rancher. And for those reasons some people do not pursue a career in either farming or ranching from what I have seen on my reservation. In hopes to educate members of my community about how important agriculture is in their everyday lives, I would like to start a workshop with local producers and explain where their food comes, from where their clothes come from and how they are made and how their houses are built and where the material used to build a house comes from educating the people to value and understand agriculture due to the reason that without agriculture there is no culture. The agriculture industry directly employs 20 percent of America’s work force or approximately

21 million people. That doesn’t include waitresses who serve agricultural products, builders who use agricultural products, or store owners who sell agricultural products. Agriculture gives us things we need to live and survive overall teaching members of the community to value and understand and potentially become involved in an agricultural career. In hopes to get more youth involved in agriculture, I could possibly employ them for a short time in my operation, showing them what it is like to a farmer and rancher and allowing them hands-on experience, all while spreading information about agriculture by explaining the pros and cons in various careers in agriculture, not only potential employees, but also to members of my community and my tribe I also believe that I could take this farther into other communities off the reservation and throughout the state of Montana. How could I increase the ability to feed ourselves? As far as beef production goes through improved feed, healthier

supplemental feeds, more effective vaccinations, and better beef genetics to produce a bigger bovine at one time 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 25 Source: http://www.doksinet the mature weight of a cow was in the six-hundred pound range. Now, days the mature weight of a cow is in the thirteen hundred pound range genetic engineering is real possibility that could soon be taking place in the beef producing industry. In order to provide a safe, stable food supply we need improved farming and ranching operations and more farmers and ranchers. We also must understand the adversities in agriculture and how they affect agricultural operations so that we can develop healthier crops and healthier livestock. Americans consume more that 37 millions tons of meat annually, heat waves are projected to increase under climate change which could directly threaten livestock a number of states have each reported losses of more than 5,000 animals in just one heat wave 1 heat stress affects animals both

directly and indirectly overtime. Heat stress can increase vulnerability to disease, reduce fertility, and reduce milk production. Drought may threaten pasture and feed supplies drought reduces the among of quality forage available to grazing livestock some areas could experience long, more intense droughts, resulting from higher summer temperatures and reduced precipitation. For animals that rely on grain, changes in crop production due to drought could also be a problem. Crops grown in the United States are critical for the food supply here and around the world. US exports supply more than 30% of all wheat, corn, and rice on the global market. Changes in temperature, amount of carbon dioxide (CO2), and the frequency and intensity of extreme weather could have significant impacts on crop yields. Warmer temperatures may make many crops grow more quickly, but warmer temperatures could also reduce yields. Crops tend to grow faster in warmer conditions However, for some crops (such as

grains), faster growth reduces the amount of time that seeds have to grow and mature. This can reduce yields (ie, the amount of crop produced from a given amount of land). For any particular crop, the effect of increased temperature will depend on the crop’s optimal temperature for growth and reproduction. In some areas, warming may benefit the types of crops that are typically planted there However, if warming exceeds a crop’s optimum temperature, yields can decline. With that how can we as farmers and rancher prepare knowing what stands in our way perhaps by better genetics not only in our crops but also in our livestock. As independent producers experimenting with our own crops and livestock could develop a better way to produce food products all while increasing yields. Chance Wallace What is agriculture? The Merriam Webster Dictionary definition is as follows: the science, art or practice of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and in, varying degrees

the preparation and marketing of the resulting products. Agriculture is not just the practice of growing crops or raising animals; however, it is an art Agriculture is about public relations, business, marketing, and numerous other strategies than just “plain Jane” farming. There are more opportunities within this career path than a person can even imagine! When Native American agriculture is thrown into the mix, the opportunities for success skyrocket due to all of the grants, loans, insurance options, and programs offered through the government. It is hard to not achieve success within the wealthy support structure. Yet even with all of the special offers and programs only 72,000 Native Americans are involved in the agricultural world. 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 26 Source: http://www.doksinet When comparing the 72,000 Native Americans that are currently involved in agriculture to the census from past years one can easily see just how much that number has declined over the

years. There is also another problem arising in the Native world today, age. The age of our farmers as a whole in agriculture is increasing drastically, and the support from the younger generations is not coming as quickly as it is needed. The average age of a farmer is the United States today is approximately 60 to 65 years of age. Of the 72,000 Native American farmers a mere nine percent are under the age of 35 and 28 percent are over the age of 65. The biggest challenge Native American agriculture will have to face is filling the age gap that divides the older, experienced people from the younger less experienced people. In order to do that we must take the first step and introduce teenagers around the country, native and nonnative, to agriculture. We must teach them about the numerous career opportunities in modern agriculture. We must teach them about the land and how to work the land. We have to teach them the ways of the animals and how to get top science, art, or practice of

cultivating the soil, producing crops and raising livestock and, in vary degrees the preparation and marketing of the resulting products. Agriculture is not just the practice of growing crops or raising animals; however it is an art Agriculture is about public relations, business, marketing, and numerous other strategies than just “plain Jane” farming. There are more opportunities within this career path than a person can even imagine! When Native American agriculture is thrown into the mix, the opportunities for success sky rock due to all of the grants, loans, insurance options, and programs offered through the government. It is hard to not achieve success within the wealthy support structure Yet even with all of the special offers and programs only 72,000 Native Americans are involved in the agricultural world. When comparing the 72,000 Native Americans that are currently involved in the agriculture to the census from past years one can easily see just how much the number has

declined over the years. There is also another problem arising in the native world today, age. The age of our farmers as a whole in agriculture is increasing drastically, and the support from the younger generations is not coming as quickly as it is needed. The average age of a farmer in the United States today is approximately 60 to 65 years of age. Of the 72,000 Native American farmers a mere nine percent are under the age of 35 and 28 percent are over the age of 65. The biggest challenge Native American agriculture will have to face is filling the age gap that divides the older, experienced people form the younger less experienced people. In order to do that we must take the first step and introduce teenagers around the country, native and nonnative, to agriculture. We must teach them about the numerous career opportunities in modern agriculture. We must teach them about the land and how to work the land. We have to teach them the ways of the animals and how to get top production

from said animals in the most ethical way available. We must teach the youth of America and show them the tradition, legacy, and importance of agriculture. While we are educating the youth of the traditions and ways from the past we must also incorporate the updated technology that is available to us today to further the growth of agriculture in our country. One of the hardest things about bringing up this new generation will be taking ancient knowledge of mother earth and combining it with the technology and business smarts of this modern world of which we live in. I myself live on a 400 acre farm with my family. Agriculture is such a major part of my life that I surely would not be the person I am today without it. Whenever I was younger, I am now 16, everybody would ask what I wanted to be when I grow up. My immediate response was, “When I grow up I am gonna be a farmer!” Now as the days turn into months, and the months into years, I find myself thinking, “Why would I want to

be a farmer? I mean, the pay 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 27 Source: http://www.doksinet is not all too good, we work all day long, and we have to endure the temper of mother nature. Yet, then I think, its not about the money, the labor is hard, yes. But it is worth it And to be quite honest, I love being outside” Many people in the world today have lost sight of what agriculture is really is. Agriculture is not just raising animals and crops to sell. It is being out in the freezing winter storm and taking a newborn baby calf into your living room, setting it in from of the fireplace and laying with it all night long to be sure it survives. Agriculture is waking up at 4:30 in the morning to go and milk the cows and then going out and fixing fence all day long in the blazing sun. Agriculture is helping a neighbor or even a stranger when the need for food, work, or shelter arises. Agriculture is taking care of the world and making it a better place for not only yourself but for

everyone that inhabits it. In our modern culture the idea of feeding your family off of the food that you yourself grow is almost completely unheard of. Most farmers and ranchers today are not producing food strictly for their own family, they are producing it for other families around the world. So if we are selling all of this raw product to everyone then why are we not getting more money back from all ours sells? Out of 72,000 Native Americans producing raw products today, 74 percent of them are seeing less than 10,000 dollars back annually from the sale of agricultural products. I believe that the solution to this problem would be to follow our products as far down the line as we possibly can. What I mean by following our product as far down the line as we can is that instead of just producing a raw product and selling it, we need to take our raw product and turn it into what is called a value added product. By turning our raw product into a value added product we are opening our

market up to many more potential customers. Therefore, we will begin to see a rise in our income. By taking a raw product and turning it into a value added product and opening our market up to more potential customers with a value added product it is possible to see a vast growth in our annual earnings. By following our product further we grow as a company The community around us begins to grow and our ability to feed our tribe, reservation, or just family increase. If you haven’t been able to discern it, agriculture is a timeless tradition that takes second place only to our creator in my heart. I have grown up loving the land and my animals I believe in the future of Native American agriculture so much that I have become Vice President of the Seneca High School FFA and President of the Future Business Leaders of America. My feet are planted firmly in the dark, rich soil of agriculture I stand not alone, but with all God given brothers and sisters of the land. Now when people ask me

what I want to do when I grow up, I reply, “I will be a delegate of Native American agriculture. I will grow to fight to make this world a better place for everyone. I will stand tall in the battle for agriculture, and along with all my brother and sisters, I will fight to maintain the time-honored tradition of Native American agriculture.” Casey Wilder My perspective on “feeding the future and filling the age gap in Indian agriculture” means to remain sovereign nations - we must be able to sustain our selves through subsistence, which was our lifestyle historically as hunters and gatherers. Our most esteemed leader, the late Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekht, commonly known as Chief Joseph clearly stated in his "address to cabinet members and congressmen on January 14, 1879 .I have heard talkthat comes to nothing. I know that my race must changeLet me be a free man - free to workto choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to think and talk and act

for myself." [Touch the Earth, TC McLuhan, 1971, pp 123-24] Native Pride best demonstrated in the role of providing food we need for ourselves as well others throughout this planet; when we can achieve this, we will strengthen our sovereignty and secure our place as sovereign nations in this modern world and began to go beyond survival of the impact of “western civilization”. This will help us maintain and grow as an important part of the world community Our destiny has been retold in our forefather’s and oral traditions – individually and collectively, we live to provide a future, both 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 28 Source: http://www.doksinet economically and culturally to/for generations to come. Summer of 1962 my great-grandfather, Harvey Moses, Sr responded to then BIA Supt. Elmo Miller regarding termination of the Confederated Tribes, and to liquidate the assets of the Colville Indian Reservation – when asked “Oh hell Harvey, do you want to be a second class

citizen all your life!” Pointing to the top of his right hand “Look at my skin – no matter how many baths, showers and sweats I take, my skin will always be brown – that goes clear into my heart and brain- I was born, raised and live as I am. All my young years I heard the old folks say in our tongue ‘what we do now and here-on-after, is for all of the grand children we will never know because they will be the grandchildren of our great-grandchildren. Furthermore, a piece of paper is not going to make me any different from anyone – only what you think – I can’t change what you think.” [Quote witnessed by his daughter, then 16 - my Granma Jo] There must be encouragement for Native American youth to continue agriculture because fewer and fewer young people (tribal members) consider their past generations’ investment in agriculture. Ironic, how so many adults, even the old ones repeatedly say that IAC wants the youth to be at the center of gaining momentum in the

agricultural fields, then only a youth a one-time trip to see what the IAC is trying to accomplish in a one day meeting/activities. This is the first time that I have even been told that I could enter an essay contest to do that. Yet, I see many of those same “community leaders” going year after year – until October 29th, I have never been invited to attend a community gathering where we would interact and discuss such an issue. To fill the age gap as indicated by such statistics reading “less than 9% are younger than 35 years of age and 28% are older than 65 years of age” – is reminiscent of my own situation. I can continue to work closely with my dad and paternal grandparents, and great grandmother to become the 6th generation to resume the small farm/ranch on the Colville Indian reservation. Diversity should become an important part of how we approach the farming/ ranching needs of our reservation, and other reservations across this great country. It is important that

young people realize the wide variety of agricultural fields that are possible. It is imperative to broaden our horizons to the possibilities and potentials to that endeavor. Tribes can support youth groups, across Indian Nations, networking with mentors to help us young Native Americans by encouraging us to enter the wide variety of food producers across Indian country. For instance, I will be one of sixth generation cattle producers and wild/meadow hay framers on our reservation. However, this past year, my claim to diversity expanding of my horizons starts with my 4-H Bee keeping project, with the help of a mentor and Pappy (what we call dad’s Dad). Honeybee rising can provide a variety of products and resource to the Tribe and community needs – such as raw honey for the convalescent center and senior citizens center. Our potential in the bees’ wax- is variety and diversity in agriculture use. A common mistake made is to believe that agriculture is raising cattle and farming

hay as the only possible opportunity available to young people. We need to know the large variety of possibilities that are possible for our reservations. Within each reservation there are unique possibilities and opportunities for their communities, and the potential for youth that live there is limitless. Research supports that by preparations we do as the Lake Roosevelt High School’s Imagine Tomorrow team, of which I am active and have since I began studying natural in addition, physical sciences. To increase the knowledge of youth about the important role agriculture plays in everyday life on our reservation or in our tribal community is to think outside the box, in terms of what is agriculture, is a must. The sky may not be the limit for the possibilities that we can strive to achieve. The culture we indigenous people had and continue to have, will be secured by creative thoughts and capturing those dreams. 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 29 Source: http://www.doksinet Recently,

an older cousin-uncle Abe taught my younger brother and I how to fish wild Pacific salmon which travels to our reservation in the Columbia River. The fish caught are given to the elders for their ceremonial and subsistence needs. My dad and his youngest brother, Uncle Spus have showed us how to filet and prepare for freezing, smoking and drying our catch. There are important times of the year that our traditions foods are honored and we give our thanks to the Creator for providing us with such nutritional resource and gift. Often I have heard my Granma Jo say, “All of the children should have to work in one of the Natural Resources programs and Cultural Programs so they exposure and practical application of the importance of protecting, preserving and sustaining all the resources.” Did you realize that American Indian land comprises roughly 2 percent of the area of the United States, yet that two percent contains probably percent of all America’s renewable energy potential”?

[Nespelem Valley Ruralite, September 2014 issue, page 4.] Working through the schools, we are involved in projects that share knowledge gained with all the youth of our reservation. Being a positive role model within my family, also for my school, community and Tribe is applying to my everyday life and addiction free lifestyle. This summer, I took advantage of an opportunity to six weeks hands on training in a variety of fisheries related activities with our Tribal Natural Resources department’s Fish & Wildlife program under a partnership of Lake Roosevelt High School and the BPA. We worked starting 6-6:30 AM until 4:30-5:00 PM. There were biological tasks, but what I remember the most is tying the nets The question is how you could not get more youth involved in agriculture. When you see such statistics “according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture - American Indian Reservations report there are 72,000 Native Americans producing about 3.3 billion dollars in raw products; 74% of

those producers receive less than $10,000 annually from the sale of agriculture products” there is definitely something wrong with that picture and it should not be tolerated. Last summer I did an educational poster, thus confirming water is the most important resource Natural waters are often important parts of wonders of the world. I have firsthand knowledge and experience of that wonder every day that I go to school, go to visit or attend to my 4-H projects on the Wilder Ranch or drive in any direction from my home - The Columbia River. May the Creator forgive humankind, because with the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam, much of what was natural is no longer. When I was out on a tributary of that mighty river, on the homeland of my Great-grandmas - the Okanogan River - in the very early morning hours - I felt I was in another life -quiet, calm. It was the sereneness I hear told during our Longhouse services and feasts - "We are all related." The experience of

connecting to all I see, hear and belief of our ancestors that trickles down through the generations, the basic teaching that everything done - individually or collectively, must relate back to the most important tradition of my culture is the gathering and sharing of the first foods. Sacrosanct is what "natures law" continues to be exposed as we throughout our Tribes do several times though out the year - men teach us boys to fish and hunt, the women gather - foraging for roots, bulbs, berries and other plants for food and medicine. All said and done, food sovereignty will not be until we as all people protect, restore and enhance the First Foods of my ancestors who inhabited the upper and lower Columbia River homelands. Our agriculture must help us to use their traditional, cultural and ecological knowledge. Small farm loans are not the panacea to making that the goals and actions of habitat management goals and actions. Personally, to increase the ability to feed ourselves

from products we are growing and providing a safe, stable food supply, our natural resources must have in place and implement policies and regulatory mechanisms that are in sync with the cultural values of our tribes - guaranteeing that the First Foods served at our Longhouse are sustained - durable. Again, I revert to the research I found while completing my education poster, without water, life is not 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 30 Source: http://www.doksinet possible. From a chemical point of view, water, H2O, is a pure compound, but in reality, you seldom drink, see, touch or use pure water. Water from various sources contains dissolved gases, minerals, organic and inorganic substances. The means to Food Sovereignty, and the role of youth will play is major. Yes, address the age gap in Native agriculture, more importantly, shorten that cultural gap of the modern - digital crazed youth - the potato couch middle-aged to get in harmony with the few elders able and available to learn

and appreciate anything worth having is worth a lot of time, effort and energy to teach us first-hand. Modern, formal education is finally accepting that the Indian way of life, often expressed- "since time immemorial" by our Longhouse leaders and elders. We, the youth are at an opportune moment to go back to those old teaching of gathering, foraging, fishing and hunting on that time testes Subsistence cycle. It is imperative to teach and learn what our native species are and how to sustain that. Our mentors are now professionally educated, they are from our own Tribes, with many of the "career bureaucrats" retiring, our Tribes need to bring in our qualified Tribal members to carry out what their research concludes - our wild Pacific salmon need the cold, clear, pure flowing rivers. We know how to build fish hatcheries; the importance to protect and sustain our natural resources is crucial. In spite of sports anglers, where there are invasive species corrupting our

eco-system. We need to eradicate, example: "Walleye in our rivers are eating everything in sight" [Dr Al Scholz, Tribal Tribune, August 31, 2014]. As a direct descendant of the Chief Joseph Nez Perce and Chief Moses Columbia tribes, our family goes back more than six generations as horsemen. Nothing personal again grazing livestock, however when ranchers/cowboys, let their horses go wild, I see no accountability in that type of "agriculture", only laziness and irresponsibility. We all need to demonstrate the knowledge and continuing that respect of the wholeness of growing, caring, consuming and preserving thereof. I have attended IAC - the first time, travel arrangement excluded me from the youth portion Then I paid my own way, tagged along with my younger brother. In conclusion, when Tribal people incorporate the cultural aspect of our Food Sovereignty; and when future youth agriculturist are brought to the table for such discussions conducted at AIC on a regular

basis, just as the adults are. They are not subjected to the one time deal because it is someones job to select a youth - often unaware of who we are/the family history that has modeled to us what we can aspire to diversity and variety in agriculture for sustainability. 2014 YOUTH ESSAY CONTEST 31