The federal government identifies the Yurok Reservation of Northern California as a food desert, meaning there are very few sources of healthy food on tribal lands. The tribe is taking steps to change the situation, recently purchasing a 40 acre piece of land for a farm to grow food for tribal members.
The purchase adds to some acres the tribe already bought for food production, with an eye to getting through the pandemic and bolstering the tribe's ability to feed itself in future emergencies.
We get further information from two guests: Louisa McCovey runs the tribe's environmental program, and Taylor Thompson manages its food sovereignty division.