Timeline

• Planning meetings started November 12, 2009.
• A project of the SMSC Health and Wellness Departments and the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
• Mdewakanton Wozupi selected as the name for the garden.
• A sunrise blessing ceremony was held on Friday, April 16, 2010, onsite.
• First seeds planted on  April 23, 2010. Red and gold potatoes, red and yellow onions, carrots, radishes, peas, and spinach were planted with the help of SMSC Land and Education Department staff.
• On April 27, 2010, 300 native fruit trees and shrubs were planted by Community members, staff, and volunteers in the orchard. These were Juneberries, elderberries, wild plum, hazelnuts, black cherry, and hickory that were planted.
• May 17, 18, and 19, 2010, different varieties of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, and onion seedlings were transplanted. In addition, corn and beans were planted in two “Three Sisters” gardens; squash seedlings were transplanted later into these gardens. Three Sisters gardens refer to traditional American Indian gardens where squash, corn, and beans were planted together to establish a mutually beneficial relationship. The corn grows tall and provides a support for the beans to grow upon. The squash grows over the mound, protecting her sister plants from weeds and shading the soil from the sun with her leaves, keeping it cool and moist. The beans help keep the soil fertile by converting the sun's energy into nitrogen to enrich the soil and help the other plants grow.
• Another day of transplanting seedlings was held May 21, 2010.

Basics

• Mdewakanton Wozupi translates as “Dwellers of Spirit Lake Garden.”
• Located at 2041 County Road 42, Prior Lake, Minnesota (west of the intersection of County Roads 83 and 42 and immediately south of County Road 42).
• Dream of Wild Health, a Native non-profit organization based in Hugo, Minnesota, provided heirloom Indian corn, beans, and squash for planting in the garden.
• It is planted and maintained by staff, Community members, and volunteers.
• Unlike a conventional garden, organic produce is grown without the use of outside inputs, like fertilizer and pesticides.
• Organic gardening maintains and builds the natural fertility of the soil and relies on crop diversity to reduce damage from pests.

Habitat for Wildlife

• Unlike a conventional farm which uses chemicals, pesticides, and other environmental toxins which can be poisonous and unsafe for wildlife, the Community Garden provides a safe habitat for wildlife to flourish.
• Wildlife observed in 2010 at the garden site: deer, skunk, opossum, mice, garter snakes, tree frogs, toads, red-winged black birds, gold finches, bluebirds, robins, northern flickers, and others. 
• The Community Garden demonstrates that we can provide food for people without destroying the food and shelter needed by wildlife.  

Size of the garden

•  2010 garden was just over 1.5 acres (210 feet by 350 feet).
•  After soil mitigation throughout the 2010 growing season, the 2011 garden will be 3.5 acres (362 feet by 454 feet)

Original Proposed Site (Not Utilized as a Garden in 2010)

• The original site was determined to require extensive preparation before it would be suitable for use.
• This original site drained very poorly in some areas, and a plan was developed to address these issues without laying drainage tiles. In areas with poor drainage, the soil was compacted heavy clay and very little grew in these areas. This posed a potential issue for future growing seasons.
• The season began by spreading compost made in the Community and removing large rocks before the land was plowed and disked.
• It was then seeded in sorghum Sudan grass as an aggressive, green manure crop to add organic matter to help the soil structure and microbial soil development. It also grows better than many weed seeds.
• One acre of that land was not seeded because it was full of quack grass.
• The quack grass was rotary tilled four times over a six-week period. In July it was mowed and the Sudan grass was disked before buckwheat was planted. Buckwheat is another cover crop that is short lived, aggressively competes with weeds, and it is beloved by honey bees when it flowers. The buckwheat is a good soil nutrient scavenger and helps “fix” nutrients in the soil for future crops.
• A garden tractor disk harrow (which is a type of plow) was used to mow and plow in late September in preparation for the planting of winter rye and hairy vetch (a cover crop used for soil improvement) in mid October. The vetch appeared to have established better than the rye.  The vetch fixes nitrogen in the soil, and the rye adds good organic matter to the soil.

Orchard

• Three acres
• In 2010, native fruits and nuts were planted: Juneberries, elderberries, wild plum, hazelnuts, black cherry, and hickory. 
• In 2011, conventional fruits will be added, including: 14 apple varieties, 3 pear varieties, 3 apricot varieties, raspberry varieties, strawberry varieties, and one cherry variety. 
• It will take 3-10 years for the plants to bear fruit. 
• Some of the apple trees will live more than 50 years.
• The orchard is surrounded by a very tall deer fence to protect fruit and nut trees year-round from deer browsing.  

2011 Garden Site

• Soil amendments and major preparatory work was required on the old alfalfa field so it was not used in 2010.
• Compost was spread in spring 2010 and then it was plowed at end of April 2010 by Community member.
• Compost was spread with a manure spreader.

2010 Garden

This site was divided into three sections: eastern field hosted two Three Sisters Gardens and gardens for Playworks and Pod 5. That field was 50 feet wide and 210 feet long.

• The middle field was 100 feet wide and 210 feet long. This field hosted potatoes, peas, onions, scallions, carrots, mixed greens, green and wax beans, turnips, beets, carrots, radishes, spring broccoli, cabbage, Rominesco, cauliflower, cucumbers, and zucchini.  Also six beds of garlic planted and covered in alfalfa hay due to a high volume of weed seeds.
• Western field was 150 feet by 210 feet. This field hosted winter squash, sweet corn,  sweet potatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, herbs, eggplant, fall cabbage, broccoli , Rominesco, ground cherries, cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, mixed greens, onions, and radishes.               

Three Sisters Garden 2010

• Seeds gifted from Dream of Wild Health in Hugo, Minnesota, were old varieties of corn and beans that would have been grown historically by Native communities.
• Varieties included:
  • Cherokee Trail Of Tears (Pole Bean) - Black bean similar to Black Turtle Bean. Seed was grown out for seed for the next year.
  • Hidatsa Red Shell Bean (Bush Bean) - Grew out and harvested seed for the next year. 
• Dakota sunflower - We enjoyed the flowers and let the birds have them. Harvested some for seeds.
  • Potawatomi Lima Bean (Pole Bean) - Very beautiful flat, lavender, purple, and burgundy design on white background. Grew out and harvested seeds for next year.
  • Arikara Yellow (Bush Bean) - Poor germination resulting in few seeds for 2011.
  • Seneca Red Corn
  • Hominy Corn
• Other varieties in 3 Three Sisters Garden:
  • Black Turtle beans (bush) harvested 50 pounds. Volunteers helped in greenhouse to collect beans from the dried stalks. Some were prepared for the volunteer appreciation meal.
  • Vermont Cranberry bean (bush) - Harvested 15 pounds of dry beans. Sold some as a fresh salad bean at Farmer’s Market.
  • Calico Popcorn
  • Yellow Popcorn
  • Multi colored dry corn
• Some of the popcorn was enjoyed at the appreciation meal held in the SMSC Land Department November 19, 2010, which featured food from the garden.
• Remaining popcorn for Tribally Supported Agriculture program.

Middle Field

• 210 feet by 100 feet
• Housed 43 beds of produce.
• Each bed was 100 feet long and more than 3.5 feet wide.
• Beds have 1 or 2 or rows depending on the crop.
• Red Norland Potatoes- 3 beds, 2 rows per bed, total 600 feet of potatoes. Planted 25 pounds of seed potato. We harvested more than 400 pounds. Sold at Farmer’s Market.
• Yukon Gold Potatoes- 3 beds, 2 rows per bed , total 600 feet of potatoes. Planted 25 pounds of seed potato. We harvested more than 400 pounds. Sold at Farmer’s Market.
• Peas- Snow, shell, and sugar snap. Five 5 beds, 100 feet long, 2 rows per bed. Trellised with bailing twine and T-posts. Poor germination resulting in poor growth and harvest.  Supplements with bat guano for phosphorus and fish emulsion for nitrogen used. Very tepid response. Will plant in a different location next season.
• Planted 1 bed of oats to serve as a catchment strip for runoff and to help prevent erosion.
• In late summer planted red cabbage in a single row which performed very well.
• 12 beds of yellow  torpedo and red onions; scallions; Mokum carrots; Tyee spinach; salad mix; mizuna; totsoi; bok choi; arugula; provider green beans; yellow wax beans; Detroit red and Detroit gold beets; Easter egg, Red Chariot and French Breakfast radishes; and purple top turnips. There were multiple plantings of carrots, radishes, spinach salad mix, and Asian greens throughout the season in these beds.
• 8 beds Brassicas- broccoli (Packman, Premium, Arcadia; total of 350 plants); cauliflower (Snowcrown, Freemont, Cheddar, Veronica; total of  350 plants); Cabbage (Red Dynasty, Early Jersey; total 250 plants); kale (Winterbor and Toscano, 150 feet  planted in one-quarter of 2 beds; Swiss Chard (Northern Lights; 30 plants; crop lost to deer); 2.5 beds zucchini (Patty Pan, Costata, Sebring, Cahflow, Sultan; 2 rows per bed, 150 plants total; very successful crop)
• Cucumbers, 3.5 beds, 1 row per bed. Varieties: Poona Kheera and Marketmore 76. Very successful crop through August.
• Lettuce   1 bed, 3 rows. Varieties: Grandpa Admires, Red Romaine, Oakleaf, Tennis Ball, and Flame.
• 1 bed provider green beans, 2 rows per bed.
• 1 bed dill, cilantro, and radishes, 3 rows per bed.
• 1 bed yellow wax beans. 2 rows per bed.

Western Field

• 150 feet long, 210 feet wide garden housed 43 beds of produce.
• 5.5 beds of winter squash, 1 row per bed, more than 450 plants, more than 850 feet of squash.
• Planted butternut, acorn, sweet dumpling, delicata and pie pumpkins. Yielded more than 3,000 pounds of squash.
• Planted nine beds of sweet corn, 2 rows per bed, 2,700 feet total. Varieties: Silver King and Temptation.
• 2 successions of sweet corn were started in the greenhouse and one succession was direct seeded. Issues with electric fence and raccoons resulted in loss of first succession of sweet corn. Greater fence charge and aggressive vegetation (squash vines) removal on the fence yielded better results. (Fast growing squash vines were reducing efficiency of electric fence leading to animal intrusion.)
• 1.5 beds of sweet potatoes, 1 row per bed, more than 150 plants. Varieties: Georgia Jet and Beaugard. Beaugard was successful.
• 3 beds watermelon, 1 row per bed, more than 225 plants. Variety Sugar Baby. Very high yielding, not much disease, very sweet and juicy.
• 2 beds musk melon, 1 row per bed, more than 175 plants. Varieties: Pride of Wisconsin, Athena, Ambrosia, and Minnesota Midget Melon. Athena and Ambrosia varieties held up the best during the wet summer.
• 5 beds of tomatoes, 1 row per bed, total of250 plants. Planted Dream of Wild Health Cherokee Purple heirloom tomatoes, Big Beef, and an heirloom mix that included Green Zebra, Brandywine, Nebraska Wedding, and Cherokee Purple. Tomatoes were staked and strung up to protect from disease and rot which comes from lying on the ground.
• 2 beds peppers, 1 row per bed, total 200 plants. Varieties: Bellboy, Cayenne, Hungarian Hot Wax, and Jalapeno. Very productive plants. Hungarian Hot Wax very popular at Farmer’s Market.
• 1 bed eggplant, 1 row per bed, 50 plants. Variety: Black Beauty. Not productive.  
• 1 bed ground cherries, 1 row per bed, 30 ground cherry plants. Mixed results at Farmer’s Market.
• 1 bed herbs, 1 row per bed, 30 plants each thyme, oregano, marjoram, sage, and parsley. Fresh herbs were rarely bought at Farmer’s Markets.
• 1 bed Rominesco and cabbage, 2 rows per bed, total 150 plants.
• 3 beds lettuce, mixed Asian greens, carrots, and radishes. Multiple plantings throughout the season.
• 2 beds onions, 3 rows per bed, total of more than 2,500 onions.
• 5 beds fall broccoli, 1 row per bed, total of 1,500 plants. Varieties: Packman, Captain, Premium, Arcadia.

Very successful crop. Some given to chefs at Mystic Lake Casino and some let flower for the honeybees. Also harvested broccoli side shoots which taste just as good.

Deer Fencing

• Surrounding the garden site a single strand, low profile electric fence was erected.
• The fence is baited with peanut butter to draw the deer in to eat the peanut butter. They get shocked and do not jump the 3 feet high fence.
• This method worked until September when deer begin to migrate.
• A mother deer and her 3 fawns ate outside the fence all summer.
• September yielded some crop loss to the deer. They ate spinach, salad mix, Swiss Chard, and beet greens.

Beds in all 3 fields total:

• 43 beds at 100 feet, more than 3.5 feet wide
• 43 beds at 150 feet, more than 3.5 feet wide
• 1 Three Sisters Garden, 40 feet by 40 feet
• 2 small gardens for Playworks and Pod 5
• 1 additional Three Sisters Garden
• 2 beds, more than 150 feet of long dry beans
• 3 beds, 150 feet of mounds/hills of corn
• 2 beds, 150 feet of winter squash

2010 direct seeded in the garden:

 Spinach

 Carrots

Salad mix

 Turnips

 Radishes

Asian greens

 Beets

 Peas

 Beans

Some corn

Some sunflowers

 Cilantro

 Dill

2010 started in the greenhouse, then transplanted:

 Cucumbers

 Tomatoes

 Peppers

 Eggplant

Sweet corn

 Broccoli

 Cauliflower

 Kohlrabi

 Kale

Swiss chard

Musk melon

 Watermelon

 Scallions

Torpedo onions

 Cabbage

 Rominesco

Ground cherries

 Fennel

Summer squash

Winter squash

 Lettuce

 Sunflowers

 Chamomile

Anise hyssop

Prairie mint

 Basil

 Nasturtium

 Amaranth

2010 Vegetables  that were started from ordered planting stock:

Potatoes (cut up pieces of seed potato)

Sweet potato slips

Onion sets (small bulbs)

2010 Season

• All crops were either direct seeded or transplanted into soil that had been plowed, disked, and then tilled.
• All planting was done by hand.
• Once planted the beds needed to be weeded and adequately watered until the vegetables were ready for harvest.
• Some plants needed non-synthetic based pesticides that are organically certifiable or Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) listed.
• Plants that needed to be sprayed were: all Brassicas for cabbage worms; potatoes and eggplants for potato beetles; and all bean plants for spotted cucumber beetle.
• When the plants were ready for harvest, after picking, most were hydro-cooled by washing in a large stock tank of water to take out the field heat. They were then packed in bins, and then rushed to the on-site walk in cooler in the barn.
• Things that were not cooled immediately: oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, musk melons, tomatoes, ground cherries, onions, potatoes, winter squash, and green beans.
• Everything was stored in the cooler except: potatoes, sweet potatoes, watermelon, dry onions, dry beans, dry corn, tomatoes, winter squash, ground cherries, and sweet corn.

Farmer’s Markets

• The first Farmer’s Market held June 4, 2010, featured: spinach, red and white onions, radishes, and mizuna. SMSC maple syrup and honey were sold as well.
• In subsequent weeks Community members brought handmade bowls, jewelry, and baked goods to sell.
• Other early produce included turnips, mustard greens, beets, more kinds of lettuce, kale, bok choi, and kohlrabi. Each week additional vegetables were offered as they became ready for harvest.
• Three weekly Farmer’s Markets were held in 2010:
• On Tuesdays from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Dakotah! Ice Center at the corner of County Road 82 and Mystic Lake Boulevard.
• On Wednesdays from 2:00 to 6:00 pm outside the team member entrance of Mystic Lake Casino.
• On Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. next to the SMSC Community Center West Wing (across the parking lot from Little Six Casino).

Things That Were Dried in the Greenhouse

• Anis hyssop (Harvested over .5 pounds of seed for native prairie planting)
• Amaranth for seed
•  Beans
•  Corn
• Cayenne peppers

Extra Produce

• Playworks and Mystic Lake received unsold produce.

Work Done to Grounds in 2010

• Root cellar added
• Tree line taken down between orchard site and the site slated for the greenhouse and high tunnel.
• New well dug.
• Four elevated beds in cedar boxes were built that housed herbs and vegetables for use by elderly and disabled volunteers.

Barn

• Walk in cooler installed.
• Barn painted.
• New cement floors poured.
• Drain installed at wash station with a tank outside of the barn for washing produce.
• Upper level of barn was renovated with new windows installed and the floor reinforced.
• Hot water heater and furnace installed.

Volunteers and Staff

• Organic gardener
• Community member Lori Watso, the driving force behind the garden, worked throughout the season in the fields and running 2 of the 3 Farmers Markets.
• About 20 volunteer Community members, staff, friends, and family members helped out throughout the season.
• SMSC Land Department staff as needed helped out weekly with harvest, market setup, and field preparation.
• Volunteer Community members at Friday Farmer’s Market throughout the growing season as well as in the fields.

Equipment Used

4 foot rotary tiller

Flail mower

 Disc

Chisel plow

Manure spreader

Broadcast seeder

Earthway seeder

Planet Junior seeder

Wheel hoe

Stirrup hoe

Diamond hoe

 Shovels

 Trowels

Root Cellar

• In the old days, before basements and crawl spaces, a cache was used underground to keep vegetables for use throughout the winter. 
• In later times, a root cellar was often dug into the earthen basement or crawl space of a home as cold storage for food items.
• A modern version of a root cellar was constructed on the northern facing slope just south of the Community Garden in the fall of 2010. 
• The root cellar is for storing vegetables from the garden until use, including selling them at Mazopiya, the SMSC’s natural food store.
• Installed in September 2010, the root cellar is eight feet wide by eight feet tall and has two chambers, each one six feet deep on the inside. 
• About three-fourths of the height of the root cellar is beneath the surface of the earth.
• Since frost typically extends 42 inches deep, four feet of excess soil was piled up on top to help insulate the structure from above and regulate temperature control.
• The two, pre-cast concrete box culverts used for the root cellar have a one- foot crushed limestone floor to allow the natural moisture of the earth an opportunity to maintain relatively high humidity levels. 
• A packed gravel driveway facilitates transportation of the vegetables from the root cellar.
• Squash, sweet and regular potatoes, cabbage, turnips, and beets are among the vegetables to be stored in the root cellar.
• The root cellar can also be used to store additional vegetables in the future as well as fruit from the orchard.
• There is space at the site for additional units to be installed in the future as the garden and orchard mature and as the needs of the Community, the Farmer’s Market, and Mazopiya are determined.
• Bolton and Menk engineered the root cellar. 
• SMSC Public Works and Maintenance Departments assisted with installation.
• Potatoes and cabbages were overwintered successfully in the root cellar 2010-2011.
• Winter squash continued to be sold through February.

2011 Growing Season

• Greenhouse will be installed to the rear of the property.
• New garden site will bring total of 5.5 acres being worked.
• Planting of rest of orchard, about 3 acres: apples, pears, raspberries, and strawberries.
• Native plants to be added this year: Prairie turnips, Nodding onion, wild garlic, wild bergamot, wild licorice, and wild mint all started in greenhouse will be planted outside.
• Traditional medicines to be planted: sage and sweetgrass.
• Native prairie plants seeds purchased from Prairie Moon Seeds in Winona, Minnesota.
• A woodland garden will be planted to contain: onions, leeks, and wild yams (if they germinate).
• A high tunnel will go up in the fall to prolong the growing season.
• Will plant basically what was planted last year but add to it.
• Over 20,000 onions growing in the greenhouse from seed.
• Compost will be spread out and disked into the soil before planting. 
• Oregano, thyme, parsley, marjoram, and sage all ordered as starts for the 2011 season.
• It is expected that some produce will go to Mazopiya as well as Mystic Lake cafeteria for employees.
• Additional produce will be offered to Playworks and the restaurants in the Community.

Greenhouse and High Tunnel

• The greenhouse will be 48 feet by 24 feet, gothic style, Solar Star and will be placed to the rear of the property between the existing house and barn.
• The greenhouse will be installed in the spring of 2011.
• Next to the greenhouse will be installed a 96 feet by 32 feet Clearspan high tunnel that will allow an earlier and longer growing season next year.
• The high tunnel will be installed in the fall of 2011.

Berry Patch

• Beyond the high tunnel will be planted 15- 50 foot rows of raspberries. Varieties include Primocane and Floricane cultivar including Prelude, Boyne, Killarny, Royalty Purple, and Autumn Britten.
• We intend to grow 11 different varieties of raspberry and one variety of blackberry.
• Strawberries and asparagus will be planted next to the raspberries.
• A strawberry patch will be planted in the space where the 2010 Three Sisters Garden was located on the southeastern part of the current garden location.
• Will plant more than 800 strawberry plants: about 200 Early Glow and 600 Jewel , a June bearing fruit.

New Equipment for 2011

A spader  - a type of tilling tool that eliminates need for multiple passes. It does what was previously done in three passes: by primary and secondary tillage and a bed sweep. Much gentler on the soil.

A transplanter –an implement pulled by a tractor used to transplant seedlings.

Williams Tool System - a multi-implement, multi-use field cultivator

A potato digger

3-row Planet Junior Seeder for direct seeding

RTV 900 Kubota all terrain vehicle

Kubota tractor

2011 Staff and Volunteers

• Added staff: 2 seasonal full time organic gardeners in addition to Lead Organic Gardener, supplemented by other Land staff and volunteers.
• Volunteer opportunities available. Email Rebecca.dalton@shakopeedakota.org or leave a message at her office at 952-233-4235.
• www.smscwozupi.org will be updated throughout the growing season.
• Playworks children will again have a garden.
• SMSC Education Department staff and Community children will again have gardens.
• Youth worker position for tribal Summer Youth Work Program.

TSA

• The SMSC is operating a Tribally Support Agriculture (TSA) program inspired by Community Supported Agriculture model of farming practiced in United States for last 20 years.
• Tribal members and employees have opportunity to purchase a share in the garden.
• During the season for 18 weeks, TSA members receive weekly deliveries of fresh produce from mid-June through the second week of October.
• Each weekly produce delivery contains a variety of seasonally grown produce.
• Weekly newsletters.
• Weekly cooking classes utilizing produce of the week.
• Native food foraging walks.
• Kids Day.
• Organized volunteer days.
• Garden harvest party.