b'Extension provides expertise inLearning how to grow tomatoes, fruit and vegetable production, farmincluding pest management, is one of the business management, marketing, youthmany things I enjoy working with on this development, health and nutrition, com- grant Ernest Pompey, one of the tribal munications, evaluation and assessmentyouths working on this grant says. I am through one-on-one consultation, andexcited to share what I learned about classroom and hands-on training on-sitegrowing and eating healthy food to other in a collaborative setting. Educationalyouth in my community.outreach addresses the following criticalThe tribe also established a community areas identified by the MPTN Council: garden where they bring other youth 1. Improve food security from the community to teach them 2. Improve economic viability about growing. The knowledge is 3. Improve youth engagement andexpanding within their own community, communications and they are teaching each other now, Shuresh says.4. Improve nutrition and diabetesUConn Extensions nutrition team awareness through collaborativeis working with the tribal community education health providers to deliver educational Once this grant came, we startedprogramming in healthy eating and working with UConn Extensiondiabetes prevention using classroom Educators. There has been a substantialeducation, and hands-on learning in the gain in the knowledge and skills regardingselection and preparing of healthy food, growing food, writing a business plan,and exercise through gardening. The goal nutrition, and health, says Jeremyis to reduce the risk and incidence of Whipple, a MPTN member.diabetes in the tribal community.Growing with MPTN In 2019, the tribe received 75 hours of instruction from UConn Extension Extension provides education foreducators. We harvested 1,400 pounds MPTN in state-of-the-art sustainableof sweet corn, and over 100 pounds of vegetable and fruit production techniques,squash. The corn, squash, pumpkins and and through collaboration with MPTN,tomatoes we grew brought in $2600 in is melded with traditional and historicalrevenue, says Jeremy Whipple.tribal farming methods. This providesUltimately, after the grant ends,Article by Stacey StearnsMPTN with a means to continue theMPTNs farm will operate as a commer- Contactrichness of their history while movingcial farm would in terms of productionShuresh Ghimireinto modern sustainable farmingand reaching out to Extension when theyshuresh.ghimire@uconn.edueconomically. do need help. They will be independent,ipm.uconn.eduTribal youth are included in all aspectsand continue growing their operation to of the agricultural venture with thesupport the goals of the tribal nation, tribes expectation that several youthsShuresh states.will develop major roles in the businessLearn more about our partnership with venture. Two tribal youth are being paidthe Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation by the grant to work in crop productionin this video: bit.ly/MPTN_Video. HEat MPTN. (Left, top) Stone Thomas carries a crate of tomatoes in the greenhouse. (Left, below) Extension educators make the Three Sisters recipe with members of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. (Right) The Three 8 2019 HIGHLIGHTS OF EXTENSION Sisters recipe includes corn, beans and squash. 2019 HIGHLIGHTS OF EXTENSION 9'