Allison Bolte
7/3/14
Ponca City Oklahoma, is a cross between small town America, reservation and growing city. Some, especially in the cities, may wonder what such a seemingly isolated place would have to offer. Ponca City, looks like it could be in any area of the country. Yet it is located in the southern plains. An area important for food production. Ponca City has numerous assets. An example being the cultural center located in White Eagle. It offers leisure recreation, culture and history. Instills a sense of place though these things. Another example is the clinic. One of the care options they have is a dialysis center. The clinic is also partnered with the Ponca Ag dept. It is my understanding that such a program is the first of its kind in Native American agriculture. My boss, Amos Hinton, a Ponca tribal member started this program which is in its third year. Through this program both he and the clinic strive for a healthier way of living and feeding people good healthy foods. He also looks towards gentler ways of farming such as not using pesticides or GMO seed. Working on the farm is in and of itself an exercise in spirituality. It fosters healthy living and an understanding of food shed, water cycle as well as Soil and Mineral cycles. As this is a reservation farm a sense of history is also present. Ponca City has many more things to offer but this is just a small look at a beautiful and diverse area.
