Dream of Wild Health
Dream of Wild Health celebrates 25 years of serving the Twin Cities Native American community, focusing on restoring health and well-being. We seek general operating support to expand access to Indigenous foods, medicines, and lifeways and deepen the impact of our Native youth leadership programs.
Our outreach spans the Twin Cities, engaging youth and families in culturally-rooted programs. As one of the longest continually operating Native American organizations in the Twin Cities, Dream of Wild Health has grown to encompass a 30-acre organic farm, native fruit orchard, and pollinator meadow in Hugo, Minnesota, with an office in Minneapolis's American Indian cultural corridor.
Our mission is centered on recovering knowledge of and access to healthy Indigenous foods and medicines, promoting food sovereignty, and sharing Indigenous knowledge through workshops, events, and partnerships. Key initiatives include our Native Youth Education & Leadership programs, offering regenerative organic gardening, nutrition education, and cultural teachings that empower youth through leadership development and employment opportunities.
The food produced at our farm and orchard supports various community initiatives, including an affordable Indigenous Food Share, a Minneapolis Farmers Market, and partnerships with Native chefs and restaurants. In 2023, our efforts yielded over 26,000 pounds of food, with 9,500 pounds donated to the community.
Funding from the Seedlings program will help us achieve our annual goals, such as reaching over 12,000 community members, engaging 70 Native youth through summer and leadership programs, and distributing 25,000 pounds of organically grown food. Additionally, it will subsidize our Indigenous Food Share costs for Native families in need and support the growth of the Indigenous Food Network.
Dream of Wild Health relies on community support to keep our programs accessible and impactful for Native youth, emphasizing cultural resilience and health equity in the Twin Cities.