The Abenaki Land Link Project, a partnership of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk-Abenaki Nation, NOFA-VT and the Vermont Farm to Plate Network’s Rooted in Vermont program, wrapped up its pilot year this fall.

Beginning in spring 2020, 15 growers from around Vermont planted traditional Abenaki crops with seeds provided by the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk. Many of these seeds were originally sourced by Dr. Fred Wiseman and the “Seeds of Renewal” project.

The growers sowed, tended and harvested Koasek/Calais mix and Calais flint corn, true cranberry, skunk, and Mohawk beans, and Algonquin squash, yielding over 520 pounds of squash, 30 pounds of beans, and 30 pounds of cornmeal. All of the food is being returned to Abenaki citizens this winter with priority being given to elders, those with disabilities, and those who are food insecure.

According to Don Stevens, Chief of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk, the question being answered by the project is: “How do we help our citizens gain access to natural foods, but also to live in the means that our ancestors did?”

The seeds being shared with growers, which are at the core of the Abenaki Land Link Project and have been passed down for generations, are the key. In Vermont and across the country, native people are disproportionately affected by poverty and health issues. This leaves many without access to nourishing foods and more susceptible to diabetes and heart disease.