Village Earth affiliate, Sustainable Homestead Designs, based on the Pine Ridge Reservation has entered a contest to win an orchard from Dreyer’s Fruit Bars brand and the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. In order to win, they need the most votes for their project. [iframe_loader width=”280” height=”620″ frameborder = ’0′ longdesc=’ ‘ marginheight=’0′ marginwidth=’0′ name=’ ‘ click_words=’ ‘ click_url=”” scrolling=’auto’ src=”https://naturalhomes.org/fbp.appeal.orchard.htm”] You can vote once per day (please do), here’s how!
- Go to www.communitiestakeroot.com
- Find “Manderson: Sustainable Homestead Designs” by clicking on the “List by State” tab and select South Dakota.
- Cast your vote.
Sustainable Homestead Designs is a project whose mission is to create sustainable housing and food sovereignty on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Home to the Oglala band of Lakota Sioux, Pine Ridge Reservation is one of the poorest reservations in the poorest county in the country. Rate of diabetes are staggeringly high in part due to lack of access to healthy food. Our homestead model site is located in the middle of the reservation in the White Horse Creek community, close to the community of Manderson that includes about 1000 residents. The closest shopping is 35 miles away in the town of Pine Ridge. The local grocery store does offer a small selection of fresh produce but supply is often limited and the quality poor. Organic produce is not available anywhere on the reservation. For organic produce and greater selection residents must travel 90 miles to Rapid City, a trip that is prohibitively expensive for most families. A fruit tree orchard in this location would offer a great resource to the people of Manderson and White Horse Creek by creating access to fresh organic produce as well as educational opportunities through workshops and classes that will be hosted on site. Further, it will create a wonderful launch pad from which we can initiate more orchards throughout the community and the reservation so that an even greater population can be served. For more information please visit: www.sustainablehomesteaddesigns.org.
