Elderberry Wisdom Farm
Elderberry Wisdom Farm
Elderberry Wisdom Farm is a 501(c)(3) Native American nonprofit organization in rural Marion County, Oregon. We provide opportunities for Native American and other Indigenous interns to strengthen their traditional ties with the land and to build career pathways in urban forestry, native plant nursery development , organic farming, and micro-enterprise development. They learn in the classroom and during experiential service learning activities at our farm, our native plant nursery, and partner sites. In the process, they strengthen their career opportunities as well as their cultural identity and positive self esteem.
Our staff and board of directors are committed to supporting interns as they strengthen their conservation career pathways, leadership & communication skills and health & wellness resilience. The Traditional Ecological Knowledge Development Project is helping us reach across all barriers to build culturally inclusive communities where Indigenous Knowledge Systems can help to change the way we care for our planet. Our staff encourage our interns and volunteers to stand on the wisdom of previous Indigenous scientists as they continue to bring their vision of ecosystem sustainability to the greater community.
Elderberry Wisdom Farm
2025 Annual Report
We are releasing the Elderberry Wisdom Farm 2025 Annual Report in this December Winter Solstice Season. Sam, our filmmaker, drove down to the farm earlier this month to record us and then he drove back to home to edit the content into a short film summarizing the past year of activities at our Native America nonprofit. His recording shows how we value oral tradition to share our truths. It has existed for centuries within tout earth-based cultures.
I invite you to view our film. Our activities from the past year reflect the increasing capacity of our organization to fulfill it's lofty mission and vision in service to our community. You will see that honoring and acknowledging our people - our board of directors, our staff, our partners, our volunteers and our funders - is a high priority. Gratitude reflects the importance of reciprocity to our team and community. We support them, and they in return help support our efforts.
Elderberry Wisdom Farm is Recruiting Native American Interns!
We are looking for interns to help with our Habitat Restoration Project.
No riches, wealth, comfort or ease of the material world is equal to the wealth of a bird; all the areas of these plains and mountains are its dwelling, and all the seeds and harvests are its food and wealth, and all the lands, villages, meadows, pastures, forests and wildernesses are its possessions. Now, which is the richer, this bird, or the most wealthy man? for no matter how many seeds it may take or bestow, its wealth does not decrease.
Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 79
Workforce Development Project
Elderberry Wisdom Farm has created the Traditional Ecological Knowledge Workforce Development Project in partnership with Chemeketa Community College. This five-year educational initiative provides paid internships for Native American adults in the Salem area, including Marion, Polk and Yamhill Counties. This workforce development project has been developed to assist Native Americans and other underrepresented students of color who are interested in accomplishing meaningful career pathways into horticulture and/or agriculture career fields.
Elderberry Wisdom Farm is a Native American nonprofit located in Marion County, Oregon. Our team has evolved a culturally tailored multimedia curriculum since 2012 that is compatible with Native American learning styles. Classroom education along with experiential learning and mentoring activities will be provided in a setting tailored for Native American as well as Alaskan Native, Hawaiian Islander and Pacific Islander students. The class will reconvene in Fall 2022.
This message to America’s Native American youth was recorded at the Elderberry Wisdom Farm in September in partnership with Northern Arizona University’s Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals. We also welcome our family members to view this message and support their youth as they vision their future, transform their lives and restore traditional First Foods in their sacred landscapes.
Projects
Dogindh! Pilamaya! Wopila! Thanks to the Oregon Cultural Trust and Oregon’s legislature, Elderberry Wisdom Farm has been funded to share Native American cultural arts by:
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Recording and preserving four gifted Native elders, cultural leaders and scientists
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Sharing messages of wisdom and guidance; rich Native American cultural values; stories and music; and habitat restoration principles in a changing climate
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Sharing messages of harmony and hope to uplift our community to strengthen race reconciliation
