Growing Health Program

Relearning to feed our people

FAST Blackfeet’s Growing Health Program started in 2021 as the Growing Health Tea Project in response to changes in the Blackfeet community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pilot expanded in the second year to a program that will create economic and wellbeing opportunities in the Blackfeet Nation as it recovers from the pandemic. The Growing Health Program provides material resources and training opportunities to aspiring herbal tea and vegetable producers in the Blackfeet Nation and interfaces with the Ō´yō´•ṗ´ Food Pantry as an initial market for purchase and distribution of tea.

The Growing Health Program is FAST Blackfeet’s first step in directly promoting production of local food by individuals who grow, harvest, process, and sell herbal teas. This creates a source of income for tea producers and increased availability of Indigenous teas in the community.

During the 2021 season, the Tea Project pilot had a cohort of 10 participants. Throughout the summer the Growing Health Tea Project Operations Director coordinated the program and led the group. Participants received two raised garden beds that were installed in their backyards, as well as starter plants and supplies to use to garden. Ten educational workshop videos were shared with the participants throughout the summer and covered information on gardening basics, traditional uses of each of the plants, food safety, harvesting plants, drying and processing plants for tea.

The direction of the 2022 season will be informed by observations made and feedback collected during 2021 and the expected benefits include:

• Providing garden skills, knowledge and confidence to grow and process teas.

• Shared garden learning with families and neighbors increases the community knowledge base.

• Opportunities to sell surplus teas to the Ō´yō´•ṗ´ Food Pantry provides training in the process of selling tea to a local business and allows the Ō´yō´•ṗ´ Food Pantry to provide a traditional, healthy beverage to pantry clients.

• Making gardening Indigenous foods a future practice. 100% of pilot program participants surveyed said they plan to continue their garden next year.

• Creating confident producers. Two of every three pilot growers rated their confidence in ability to grow and process tea as being very confident.