Tribal college offers a food system course

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will offer a new sustainable food systems class this summer. This summer's class, SUST 2090 Field Experience, is the first course of several that will form a new track in FDLTCC's Environmental Science program. The course is rooted in Indigenous values and food sovereignty, aiming to translate reciprocal relationships into sustainable harvest and cultivation techniques.

The course's seven modules are holistic in nature with topics in treaty rights, sustainable harvest and seed saving, designing a sustainable food system and green energy resource management. Course participants will learn through a mixture of lecture, expert presentations, field tours, and utilizing the demonstration gardens and greenhouse on campus. The summer field experience course is open to members of the community, students, and anyone interested in food systems and sustainability.

"With this Sustainable Foods Systems course, we strive to support the Fond du Lac Band's vision of a sovereign, holistic food system rooted in Anishinaabe values that is environmentally responsible and empowers a thriving and resilient community," said Courtney Kowalczak, FDLTCC Environmental Institute director. "We hope that students who take the sustainable food systems courses will go on to act as catalysts for food sovereignty and sustainable food production in our community."

Class participants will learn a wide variety of lessons in the course modules, such as the relationship between pollinators and ecosystem health; food safety practices from production to packaging; and maximizing growing space in urban environments. Elizabeth Dean is the sustainable food systems instructor.

The modules will be taught by a variety of specialists who will share their unique connections to food sustainability, including Shannon Kesner, a member and lifelong resident of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Kesner's passion for the environment and relationships with plant beings is forged from her culture and professional experience surveying plants and their environments.

This course is open to first-time students, continuing ed community members, and those who are interested in reskilling. Summer session begins June 1. Limited scholarships are available, on a first come, first served basis.

For more information or module details, contact Courtney Kowalczak at 218-879-08962 or via email at [email protected].