SHARE Hosts Soil Health Retreat for Indigenous Students

Jamie Patton, left, shows students the effects of compaction on a piece of soil. Stacy Nuryadi is a native of Singapore and a graduate student in agroecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Elena Hill, right, is a member of the Oneida Nation and a graduate student in agroecology at UW-Madison.

The U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center and the Soil Health Alliance for Research and Engagement (SHARE) recently hosted the first Wisconsin Indigenous Students’ Soil Health Retreat. The first day of the two-day event featured presentations on the history of the Ho-Chunk Nation as well as the Nation’s agricultural and land-restoration projects. Also featured were soil-health demonstrations and tours of cover crop, perennial grain and cropping systems research plots at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center’s research farm near Sauk City, Wisconsin, and the Ho-Chunk Nation’s Neesh-La Pow Wow grounds near Baraboo, Wisconsin.  

Deven Metoxen-Hamilton, left, and his brother, Ryan Metoxen-Hamilton, are members of the Oneida Nation and students at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. They listen to a presentation on soil health at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center. The center and the Soil Health Alliance for Research and Engagement (SHARE) hosted the first Wisconsin Indigenous Students’ Soil Health Retreat.

The second day of the event provided students opportunities to learn about the numerous and diverse types of careers and organizations working in soil health and agriculture in general. Sharing their education and career paths with students were seasoned representatives from the following:  

• Oneida Nation 

• Ho-Chunk Nation 

• Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council (WTCAC) 

• Menominee Indian Tribe 

• Intertribal Agriculture Council

• U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 

• U.S. Forest Service 

• USDA’s Agricultural Research Service/U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center 
  

Students also heard about how to write effectual resumes and how to apply for jobs with the federal government. Rick Tafoya, a human resources specialist and national program manager with USDA NRCS’ Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, shared insights on both resume building and the federal job-application process.   

Jamie Patton, left, is a soil scientist with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). She shows students how to identify signs of earthworm activity in research plots.

Ryan Metoxen-Hamilton, a member of the Oneida Nation and a biology student at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point attending the retreat, said he enjoyed learning about the importance of soil aggregates, particularly for their resilience under the pressure of rainfall events. He also enjoyed learning tips on how to identify – through observation – nutrient deficiencies in crop fields. He’s interested in exploring careers in fisheries, aquaponics and wetlands restoration, he said. 

His brother, Deven Metoxen-Hamilton, also is a member of the Onedia Nation and a student at UW-Stevens Point. Deven is majoring in wildlife ecology. He enjoyed the retreat’s discussions about invasive species and how they affect habitats. He also said the discussion on formatting resumes for prospective jobs was helpful. 

Stacy Nuryadi, a native of Singapore, is a graduate student at UW-Madison where she studies agroecology.  She’s focusing on strategies for increasing ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change.  

Mauricio De La Parra Gurr, who was raised in Pennsylvania, also is a graduate student at UW-Madison in agroecology. He’s interested in working in the Caribbean in the future, focusing on the effect of hurricanes on island ecosystems.  

Nuryadi said hearing about the career paths during the career roundtable was particularly valuable.  

“There are job titles and opportunities I haven’t heard about,” she said.  

De La Parra said it was interesting to learn about the opportunities of working with the USDA and the ability to move into different job positions and locations around the country.

Among those attending the Wisconsin Indigenous Students’ Soil Health Retreat are (bottom row from left): Hinu Smith, Jen Falck, Stacy Nuryadi and Celina Hall. Middle row from left: Deven Metoxen-Hamilton, Ryan Metoxen-Hamilton, Jamie Patton and Jeff Vallet. Top row from left, Jeff Mears, Mauricio de la Parra Gurr, Joey Tallier and Jose Franco.