Kawerak, Inc. received a $31,958.00 grant from the First Nations Development Institute of Longmont, Colorado. This award will support the efforts of Kawerak as a co-managing owner of Pilgrim Hot Springs.
The project will focus on increasing food security for the Bering Strait Region by creating a model for local food production and distribution. This model will leverage the resources of Pilgrim Hot Springs to improve the availability of locally-grown food distributed within the region.
With this grant funding, Kawerak will be able to supplement agriculture staff salaries, engage with agricultural intern programs across the state, and work to develop a feasible model for food distribution.
From 2016-2018, Bering Straits Native Corporation (BSNC), through their subsidiary Bering Straits Development Company (BSDC), led a strong gardening effort at Pilgrim Hot Springs. This work produced hundreds of pounds of fresh vegetables and created the initial infrastructure needed for agricultural development. BSNC received a grant, on behalf of Unaatuq, LLC, to study community-supported agriculture models for Pilgrim Hot Springs. As a result of this study, a “farm plan” was produced which outlined the necessary steps in moving forward with Unaatuq’s goals for agriculture development.
This summer, Kawerak staff will plant a new test garden at Pilgrim Hot Springs to revive the 2016-2018 effort, and work to continue improving garden infrastructure and irrigation methods. While community supported agriculture remains a popular model for farm structures, the goal of this project is to find the most logical, efficient, and cost-effective way to distribute Pilgrim’s fresh produce to regional villages and Tribal members. Later this year, Kawerak will release a Request for Proposals, to hire an agriculture distribution expert to help achieve this goal.
Kawerak, Inc. is a nonprofit Tribal Consortium of 20 Alaska Native Tribes in the Bering Strait Region. As a co-managing owner of Unaatuq, LLC, Kawerak manages the Pilgrim Hot Springs program under their Environmental Program, Natural Resources Division.
More information about Pilgrim Hot Springs can be found on the website: https://www.pilgrimhotsprings.com
CONTACT:
Amanda Toerdal | Pilgrim Hot Springs General Manager
907-443-4278
