Indigenous Food Systems Resilience

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Indigenous Food Systems Resilience

Connecting Cultural Values and Indigenous Research

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), this four-year project partners with Tribal Nations and communities in Wisconsin. Research in four areas will impact Indigenous food systems resilience by supporting Tribal producers, Tribal land managers, and Tribal communities in their food sovereignty work.

Partnerships in Action

A combine harvesting a corn field .
Photo Credit Hanna McIntosh

Indigenous Crops and Livestock

  • Intercropping Indigenous corns with cover and forage crops
  • Integrating livestock in polycultures
  • Using appropriate technology for mechanical corn harvest
A group of ten people standing in front of a corn field that is ready to harvest.
Photo Credit Hanna McIntosh

Nutrition Education and Health

  • Planning for food sovereignty in Tribal communities
  • Identifying needs and opportunities for nutrition education
People wading in wild rice fields on the edge of a lake
Photo Credit Deanna Erickson

Wild Rice Restoration and Research

  • Creating a research and outreach plan for wild rice restoration in St. Louis River
  • Supporting wild rice camps
  • Evaluating wild rice toxicity
A maple syrup tap in the side of a tree with a metal bucket hanging below it.
Photo Credit Dan Cornelius

Maple Sugaring and Production

  • Supporting Tribal producers around maple sugaring
  • Facilitating a producer network
  • Hosting in-person and virtual learning opportunities

In the News


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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