It's a bumpy ride across a 20-acre plot of land on Six Nations once owned by George Henry Martin Johnson, the father of famous Mohawk poet Pauline Johnson.
Native farmer Barry Hill uses a Case tractor to pull a nine-ton, 30-foot-wide seeding machine across the land. Like many local farmers this time of year, he's planting a soybean crop, holding out hope that a good growing season will lead to a bountiful harvest.
During an interview inside the cab of his tractor, Hill explains that farmers on Six Nations face the same challenges as those working off-reserve. The rising cost of fuel and equipment, as well as often-challenging commodity prices, have hit all agricultural producers hard.
But the way native farmers finance and support their farming operations is different, Hill says, because the federal Indian Act prevents banks from placing a mortgage on native land.
"Because we're on band land, we don't have access to the banks," he says. "The IAPO was developed to address that situation."
Hill is referring to the Indian Agricultural Program of Ontario, started in 1984 to give native farmers the opportunity to farm on native land. The program offers financing to native agricultural producers, including loans and lines of credit for land and machinery, as well as business support.
A non-profit corporation owned by status Indians, the IAPO aims to empower
"Often, we're the clients' only financing alternative," Young says.
The IAPO has 400 clients across the province, offering about $5.3 million in loans and financial assistance each year. Since its formation, the program has provided $59 million in assistance to native farmers.
Some of that financial support has gone to agricultural producers on Six Nations. With 30 farmers working more than 14,000 acres of land, Six Nations ranks No. 1 in agricultural production among the province's native communities. The soybean is Six Nations' largest farm commodity, with winter wheat, c o r n , h a y , and beef also produced on the reservation southeast of
In total, about 40,000 acres of
land is used for agricultural production on native land in
Young says the IAPO's investment in native farming has led to investment in native communities. It's estimated that, since 1990, native farmers in Ontario have paid $15.6 million for input costs, $5 million to rent farmland, $3.5 million for labour costs, $3.5 million for equipment repairs and $2.1 million for fuel, all helping grow local economies. Hill, a former president of the Brant County Federation of Agriculture, says farming serves to provide a valuable boost to the Six Nations economy.
"We're putting about $1 million a year back into the community through land rent, labour and repairs," he says.
Before the IAPO's formation in 1984, native farmers needing to finance their agricultural operations often relied on the good will of farm suppliers who offered credit. Because banks could not offer loans to natives wanting to farm on native land, much of the productive soil on
WORKING THE GROUND
Hill says that situation has changed dramatically since the IAPO began offering financial assistance. When he began farming in 1978, about 90 per cent of agricultural land on Six Nations was farmed by non-natives.
"Now, the numbers are reversed," Hill says. "Ninety per cent of the land is farmed by our own residents.
"There's a social aspect that people are happier to see local people working the ground."
As well as financial support, IAPO staff is available to assist native farmers with crop problem solving, farm business plans and marketing and selling products.
"We do a tremendous amount of that -- care of the client and working with the client," Young says.
With nine employees working out of offices in
"They're there to help people succeed," Hill says. "I give them credit for that."