MHA Nation celebrates indigenous food sovereignty
MCF Newsroom Reports
PARSHALL, N.D. - The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation) celebrated the grand-opening of Native Green Grow (NG2) greenhouse, a landmark of innovation in Indigenous food sovereignty last week.
The project - an indoor growing space that will eventually span the area of 14 football fields - is powered by reclaimed flare gas from the tribe’s oil wells, which would otherwise be polluting waste. At NG2, it is instead captured for heat, carbon dioxide and electricity to power the growing operation.
When completed, NG2 will be one of the largest greenhouse projects in the world.
“Our people have cultivated these lands for thousands of years,” said MHA Nation Chairman Mark N. Fox. “NG2 allows us to continue providing for our people, at scale, year-round, while serving neighboring communities as well.”
On hand for the celebration was Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak as well as representatives from United States Senators Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven offices. Festivities include traditional MHA cultural celebrations, a color guard performance, ribbon-cutting and more.
With phase 1 fully operational, the greenhouse is expected to produce 1.8 million pounds of produce each year. More than 30 staff at the facility are currently growing leafy greens, strawberries, bell peppers and cucumbers.
“The Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara peoples were for thousands of years the center of agricultural trading in this region,” Fox said. “NG2 builds on the legacy of our entrepreneurial ancestors. This is not an easy place to farm. But we’re doing it, and soon we’ll be trading produce as our relatives before us did for generations.”
Native Green Grow also provides an opportunity for educating MHA Nation’s young people about healthy eating, economics, technology and cultural history.
~MHA Nation
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