Tribes Extension Program

boy carrying flat of tomatoes in a high tunnel

Federally-Recognized Tribes Extension Program

The University of Connecticut received a Federally-Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) grant in 2017 through a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture program. The purpose and intent of this program is to establish an Extension presence and support Extension outreach on Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation (MPTN). Since the start of the FRTEP Program, UConn Extension and the MPTN have been collaborating to enhance agricultural production, food security, and health of tribal community members. An Extension program involving several specialists in vegetable and fruit production, farm business management, marketing, youth development, health and nutrition, communications, evaluation and assessment is working with the MPTN on their goals.

Adventures in Agriculture

Explore the exciting world of farming while building science-based activity kits.

Summer 2022

News and Updates

greenhouse

UConn Extension educators work with members of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in a high tunnel. Photo: Shuresh Ghimire

Nutrition class

Extension educators make the Three Sisters recipe with members of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.

tomatoes

Heirloom tomatoes grown by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. Photo: Noah Cudd

4-H Youth and Nutrition Education Programming

UConn Extension 4-H and Nutrition Educators have been working with the High Five project, and Parks and Recreation Center at the MPTN to engage youth and adults in a series of in-person gardening classes and virtual cooking/nutritional workshops. Several in-person gardening classes and more than a dozen of virtual cooking classes were held in 2021. Youth, their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends participated on those classes. Fundamentals of seeds and plant structures, and where does our food come from were some of the topics covered in gardening classes. Likewise turkey chowder and stuffing cups, quesadillas and salsa, impossible cheeseburger pie and blue berry slump, apple hand pies, Shepard’s pie, and cinnamon swirl pancakes with turkey breakfast sausage were some of the recipes discussed in those nutritional classes.

 

September 13, 2019 UConn CAHNR Extension News

Growing Food and Health with the Mashantucket Tribe