FARGO, N.D. — Hidatsa Sahnish College and North Dakota State University Extension are hosting a grand opening celebration to dedicate a new greenhouse and community garden at the NHSC Four Sisters Gardens in New Town, North Dakota. The celebration begins at 10 a.m. on June 7.
The gardens are approximately one mile west of New Town. To get there from New Town, head west and turn south at mile marker 49.
Twyla Baker, NHSC president, and Greg Lardy, NDSU’s vice president for Agricultural Affairs, will speak at the celebration.
The new greenhouse facility will be used by NHSC and NDSU Extension staff for educational programming as a part of their land-grant mission. The improvements to the community garden will increase their capacity to teach youth and adult audiences about Native agriculture, gardening and how to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables in their diets to address food-related diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Additionally, Fort Berthold residents will be able to use the community gardens to grow their own fresh produce.
“The MHA Nation’s culture and lifeways were deeply and intrinsically tied to land and agriculture, and I’m so pleased to be able to continue that legacy with modern methods that adapt and respect our traditional values,” says Baker. “This is a great partnership that I believe will be of benefit to so many students and community members moving forward.”
“We value our collaborative relationship with Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College as we work together to fulfill our joint mission of extending education and research-based knowledge,” says Lardy.
The greenhouse and community garden project was funded by a $112,410 subaward from NDSU Extension to NHSC as a part of a Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) grant. FRETP is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
— NDSU