Spokane Tribe Agricultural Management Program and Irrigation Update project

The Spokane Tribe of Indians is a rural Tribal community in eastern Washington that values sustainability and supports food sovereignty, security, and safety. In 2024, the Tribe is undertaking the Spokane Tribe Agricultural Management Program and Irrigation Update project funded by NAAF. This 24-month project aims to assist farmers, ranchers, and community producers by supporting agricultural management, irrigation, and financial assistance programs. The project will address various challenges faced by Spokane Tribal producers, including administrative and economic hurdles, such as record-keeping, applying for grants and loans, and managing sales and business operations. Additionally, the project will address the threat of noxious weeds in the area. To tackle these challenges, the project will hire an Agricultural Program Manager and establish an Agricultural Management Program to assist Native producers on the reservation directly. The project’s objectives include establishing an Agriculture Resource Management Plan and rehabilitating the irrigation infrastructure at the Little Falls Farm on the Spokane Indian Reservation. This farm has not been actively cultivated for over a decade, and rehabilitating its irrigation system is crucial to providing irrigated acres for agricultural production. The NAAF funds for this project will have long-term benefits that will outlast the 24-month project period. These funds will be leveraged to access additional funding for tribal agriculture and technical assistance.