{"id":180132,"date":"2021-12-22T07:40:22","date_gmt":"2021-12-22T12:40:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=180132"},"modified":"2021-12-22T09:00:28","modified_gmt":"2021-12-22T14:00:28","slug":"mashantucket-pequot-tribal-nation-establishes-tribal-department-of-agriculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2021\/12\/mashantucket-pequot-tribal-nation-establishes-tribal-department-of-agriculture\/","title":{"rendered":"Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Establishes Tribal Department of Agriculture"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the years since UConn Extension Educators began working more extensively<\/a> with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, the project has been fruitful. There has been growth in agricultural production, food security, and health for the members of the nation.<\/p>\n

Building on that success, the Tribal Nation recently reached another exciting milestone — the creation of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Department of Agriculture. The MPTN Department of Agriculture formalizes the education, nutrition, and farming work already done in collaboration with UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources<\/a> Extension<\/a>, with Extension Educators Joseph Bonelli and Shuresh Ghimire, who are leading the efforts along with Tribal Nation Councilor Daniel Menihan and others.<\/p>\n

\u201cMenihan has been actively involved in this project from the get-go and has helped us remarkably achieve the grant goals and strengthen the relationship between UConn and the tribe,\u201d says Ghimire.<\/p>\n

Jeremy Whipple, tribal member and executive director of the Tribal Department of Agriculture says, \u201cThat first step of building the program is doing what we hoped it would accomplish, and that is getting people back to an agricultural way of life, which has been the challenge for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The existence of a department of agriculture in the community now makes it easier for tribal members to access the information they need to conduct extension and other programs such as UConn 4-H in the tribal reservation.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow people call Extension and ask us for assistance and advice and that has been very helpful for the community,” Whipple says. “I see a lot more tribal members gardening throughout the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the outset, the program has included a variety of projects where extension educators work closely with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, from conducting youth development programs to further developing the nation’s farm, called Meechoo\u00f4k Farm.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tribal nation was interested in increasing the agricultural operation and each year we are seeing great progress. The hope was to create a long lasting and sustainable agricultural sector at the tribal nation,\u201d says Bonelli, who helped write the Tribal Nation\u2019s agriculture business plan. \u201cThe first few years of the project have helped to bring that process along.\u201d<\/p>\n