Indigenous Food Systems Resilience

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Indigenous Food Systems Resilience

Connecting Cultural Values and Indigenous Research

The Indigenous Food Systems Resilience project is a partnership between the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Tribal Nations and organizations in Wisconsin that supports Tribal producers, land managers, and communities in their food sovereignty work in four key areas. The project areas include Indigenous crops and livestock, Manoomin (wild rice) research and restoration, nutrition and community food systems, and maple sugaring.

Our team of 39 people collaborates with 9 Tribal partners and organizations representing all 11 Federally recognized Tribes in Wisconsin, 14 UW and Extension units or departments, and supports 3-4 undergraduate and graduate students per year.

This project is funded by a four-year grant (2023–2026) from the Wisconsin Rural Partnerships Institute at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).


In the News

UW’s Rural Partnerships Institute announces new projects focused on rural Wisconsin

UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) News

March 14, 2024

A yard sign for the Institute for Rural Partnerships is shown in a grassy area on the UW–Madison campus

Partnerships in Action

A combine harvesting a corn field.

Indigenous Crops and Livestock

Together, we are developing ways top scale and mechanize Indigenous corn production to meet demand, building Tribal capacity, and investigating collaboratively defined regenerative agricultural research questions.

Wild rice growing in a lake

Wild Rice Restoration and Research

We are leveraging existing partnerships with Tribal Nations and organizations to support manoomin restoration, research, and outreach across Wisconsin.

A maple syrup tap in a maple tree with a metal bucket hanging below it

Maple Sugaring and Production

We are working to build capacity of Tribal maple syrup and sugar producers through shared learning opportunities, including webinars, trainings, and events. We are expanding the Extension-coordinated Tribal Maple Sugaring Network to facilitate knowledge sharing and storytelling among Tribal producers.

A group of nine people working in a small garden in a marshy wooded area

Nutrition and Community Food Systems

We are working to improve federal nutrition program alignment with Tribal food sovereignty efforts and develop more robust career pathways in Indigenous food sovereignty.


The USDA NIFA-funded Institute for Rural Partnerships housed at UW–Madison, Auburn University and the University of Vermont, collaborates with community-based initiatives and local research, educational institutions and subject matter experts.

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