Elderberry Wisdom Farm (EWF) has been providing Traditional Ecological Knowledge Workforce Development Internships for Native Americans and other interns pursuing natural resource career pathways since 2021 in partnership with Chemeketa Community College along with other organizations, institutions and agencies.
 

Our Native American 501(c)(3) nonprofit’s workforce development has included microenterprise business development for interns pursuing pathways into conservation, agricultural and horticultural careers. To accomplish this, EWF has formed several LLC businesses that will provide Native American and other economically challenged interns with training in business and marketing. This will help them to explore opportunities to own their own business that has potential for future multigenerational prosperity for their families.

One example is Blue Elderberry Farm LLC which is developing a locally sourced organic blue elderberry syrup and a blue elderflower skin healer product line using the native plant species, Sambucus nigra ssp. Cerulea. EWF has developed a farmers market pilot project and is currently selling Blue Elderberry products locally at the Salem Farmers Market and Corvallis Farmers Market. This is helping us provide a model for Native growers and herbalists by demonstrating how they can plan, form and operate their own sustainable organic farm that provides value added products to their community.  
 

EWF also formed two additional LLC businesses, Native American Habitat Restoration LLC and Native American Plant Nursery LLC. We are continuing to train and mentor interns in habitat restoration and native plant nursery development by integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge principles and practices into their work so they begin working at a living wage restoring mid-Willamette Valley ecosystems.

EWF formed Native American Habitat Restoration LLC and is offering training and experiential service learning activities at two Native American Plant Nursery sites where the founder’s native elderberry farm is located and at partner sites in the rich soils of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. This initiative is being planned and developed as a micro-enterprise business for future cohorts of interns who will gain experience as LLC owner-operators over several years with the capacity to administer and run their own business.