Stewardship

Sustainable practices

The Farmer Training Program prioritizes the farmers, the soil, and the ecological setting in its production practices. While not certified organic, the Old Fort uses many organic practices, such as crop rotation, cover cropping and organic soil amendments, and does not use synthetic herbicides or pesticides in the vegetable fields. All farmers are paid at least $15 an hour. The Old Fort uses both drip and overhead irrigation, meeting the plants’ water needs while being judicious about the limited water supply.

On average, the growing season is just 90 days long. To grow food in this environment requires localized knowledge, careful planning, adaptability, and resilience. The program uses high tunnels for year-round production and row covers for spring and fall planting. With the short frost-free season, growing robust cover crops requires taking land out of food production and devoting space, irrigation, and labor to building soil health, and the program does this to the greatest capacity possible. Each year, in conjunction with Indigenous agricultural experts, the program incorporates a Three Sisters plot and experiments each year with different practices informed by Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

Benefit to the community

As a cornerstone of the local community, the Old Fort plays a vital role in fostering cross-cultural connections. Beyond providing fresh, local produce and humanely raised meat products, we serve as a gathering place where people of all ages come together to learn, connect, and grow.

In particular, the Old Fort is emerging as a place for cross-cultural events centering Indigenous knowledge and activities that express Indigenous resilience and vitality. The land’s history as a fort and a Federal Indian Boarding School serves as reminders of the importance of healing and reconciliation.