Support Food Sovereignty on Rosebud Reservation

Help buy A MUCH-NEEDED TRUCK and TRAILER for the Keya Wakpala Garden

The Rosebud Indian Reservation is an extreme food desert, designated as a low-income AND low-access area by the US Census Bureau. The 20 reservation communities are spread over a land mass 1.5 times the size of Rhode Island, with only 3 grocery stores serving a population of 20,000. 54% of the population is living at or below the poverty line.

The REDCO Food Sovereignty Initiative was formed to address this situation by building up the local food system -- through production, distribution, training, and education. We started with nothing but bare ground five years ago. Since then we have made great progress, with the one-acre garden, greenhouse, and a weekly farmers’ market, but we need your help to take the next step. When you contribute to our truck and trailer fund, you will be helping us grow and distribute more fresh produce for people who need it most.


Most of the funding for our work comes from foundation and government grants and is tied to specific projects and programs. None of that funding can be used for the pickup truck and small trailer we so desperately need. That's where you come in. Your gifts will be used to purchase an 8’ x 12’ trailer and a used farm truck in good condition with high towing ability. We will build up the sides of the trailer to allow for maximum capacity when hauling soil, compost, etc.


Until now we have borrowed vehicles from our generous community partners when we needed to haul organic materials to the garden. However this has caused delays in planting and bed prepping when these vehicles are not available. Having our own vehicle will allow us to stay on track with an ambitious garden timeline so that we can grow as much produce as possible for our community.


Increased access to healthy foods will also help cut down on diet-related illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease that Native people suffer at much higher rates than the rest of the country. Since many Rosebud residents live 30 miles or more from a grocery store, transportation challenges create additional barriers to a healthy diet. We aim to remedy this: doubling as a mobile market, the truck and trailer will enable us to bring our produce directly to people in outlying communities who would not otherwise have access to fresh food.


Having our own truck and trailer will help us reach these ambitious goals for the 2019 growing season:
-Grow and distribute at least 10,000  pounds of produce
-Host two additional weekly markets in outlying communities


The Food Sovereignty Initiative and Keya Wakpala Garden -- named for the creek that flows just down the hill (“Turtle Creek” in English) --  have grown in many amazing and unimaginable ways since it first began as a weedy expanse. Please help us take the next step! Any size donation will help.

And please spread the word by sharing this campaign with your friends and family. Time is of the essence… the spring planting season is just around the corner!


***Donations are tax-deductible; to request a receipt please e-mail [email redacted]