Urban gardening workshop teaches gardening to beginners – Muscogee Nation News

“We talked about our Creek Nation seal and how we are an agrarian society and want to promote what our ancestors did. ” – Julie Norem

TVLSE, Oklahoma – Gardening has many benefits. It is good for the environment and is a way to become self-sufficient in food cultivation. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation was originally an agrarian society that relied on land farming. The nation is still exploring new avenues to promote cultivation and horticulture. The MCN Conservation District hosted the particular first urban gardening course in a new series at the Gilcrease Museum upon Nov. 30.

The city gardening class featured Jack Titchener, a good urban soil health specialist for the Oklahoma Conservation Commission and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The new work shop series aims to advertise self-sufficiency and enable others to grow their produce.

“I think it is important for us to connect with nature, ” Titchener said. “It’s maybe more important than people realize about the connections between where your food comes from, and climate change. ”

According to MCN Conservation District Conservationist Julie Norem, although this is not the particular first time a gardening workshop has been hosted, it is usually the first time a workshop has been hosted outside of Okmulgee. Encouraging others to garden is the team effort across the tribe.

“The last couple of years, we’ve been pushing, trying to get people to start their gardens, ” Norem said. “We work with reintegration and environmental services. ”

The MCN Conservation District offers received grants that have allowed them to begin gardens across the nation, like the elderly nutrition center plus the Morris Indian Community. Once the particular gardens have started, this is up to the Muscogee citizens of that will community in order to take care of them.

For Titchener, gardening began as a hobby. That is until he discovered you could make a career out of it. Titchener returned to school in order to earn an agricultural science degree through Oklahoma State University.

“I realized exactly how powerful it was to grow your food, ” Titchener said. “How to sustain yourself that way. ”

Titchener and Norem agree that metropolitan gardening is an excellent way to combat meals insecurity, a good issue many Native Americans face today.

“That’s another reason we want to promote urban gardening, ” Norem said. “We discussed our Creek Nation close off and just how we have been an agrarian community and wish to advertise what our own ancestors do. ”

Based on Norem, her department has talked to many residents which have memories of eating produce grown by their families at home. Norem recalled when her family gardened, plus fresh produce was available at their own fingertips.

“ I remember walking in the plow row along with my bare feet and going back later plus eating the tomatoes right out of the garden, ” Norem said. “I definitely keep in mind that fondly. ”

Beginners without a lot of gardening experience might not realize the particular potential their property has with regard to cultivating produce. Titchener stated vegetables can grow inside yards big and small.

“If most people were to try their hand, you don’t need the large area to develop a lot of vegetables, ” Titchener said. “That would shock numerous people too is the amount you could produce from just a normal yard. ”

Norem said there is no exact date for the particular next working area but mentioned it would take place within January.