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Mission:To restore health and well-being in the Native community by recovering knowledge of and access to healthy Indigenous foods,medicines and lifeways. Contact: Madeline Johnson Dream of Wild Health P:(612)225-5331 madeline@dreamofwildhealth.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dream of Wild Health Celebrates 25th Anniversary Minneapolis,MN.August 9,2023.Dream of Wild Health is proudly celebrating 25 years of working in the Native community.Since 1998,this organization has been working to restore the health and well-being of Native people through promoting education of traditional foods,medicines,and lifeways,and through making healthy Indigenous food accessible to Native families. Dream of Wild Health began as a farm program at Peta Wakan Tipi.In 2000,the organization experienced a transformative moment when Cora Baker,a ninety-four-year-old Potawatomi woman and renowned "seed saver," generously donated her lifetime collection of seeds.This invaluable collection,including seeds that were over 300 years old,comprised a rich diversity of corn,beans,squash,and plant medicines.Since then,they have been planting seeds in the soil,in the community,in the world of Native nonprofit organizations,and in the lives of Native youth. After acquiring their ten-acre farm in Hugo,MN,in 2004,the organization introduced a Native youth leadership program empowering children and teenagers to learn about growing and cooking tasty,nutritious,traditional foods.The youth work directly with crops from seed to table,and gain a deep understanding of Indigenous food systems as they learn about food through Indigenous lifeways. Dream of Wild Health provides locally grown produce for sale at the Four Sisters Farmer's Market.Additionally, they initiated the Indigenous Food Share (IFS)program (a Community Supported Agriculture or CSA)providing healthy weekly produce boxes to the Native community,which aims to subsidize costs for those who may otherwise struggle to afford them. As of 2023,Dream of Wild Health boasts a collection of over 200 seed varieties,ranging from the Oneida white heirloom corn to Hopi black beans and Lakota squash.They plan to expand their impact by utilizing their newly added 20 acres of land,and have begun construction to include a building featuring a teaching kitchen,an outdoor pavilion,large greenhouse,and incubator space for new Native farmers. On their anniversary,Dream of Wild Health expresses their profound gratitude to the community,partners, donors,and volunteers who have contributed to their growth and success over the past 25 years.The organization remains committed to their mission of regenerative farming,Indigenous seed preservation,and fostering the well-being of Native communities.They look forward to future years of growing seeds and growing leaders. Dream of Wild Health will host a celebration of their 25th anniversary at their Hugo farm on September 15,2023. Indigenous appetizers will be served and guests will hear from those most impacted by the organization and tour the farm.Together,they will celebrate 25 years of growth,resilience,and the transformative power of reconnecting with our roots through food and community. 612-874-4200 |1308 East Franklin Avenue,Suite 203 Minneapolis 55404 |dreamofwildhealth.org