Blue Lake Rancheria (BLR) is proud to facilitate the delivery of over 60,000 meals to Tribal elders across Humboldt County, every year. This is made possible through BLR’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Plan (LFPA), the NCGA Harvest Hub, and the BLR Daluviwi’ Community Garden. Grace Poitras manages Daluviwi’, and has been hard at work with successful results all throughout 2025. Daluviwi’ is BLR’s chemical-free, no till garden which avoids tillage to protect soil structure and microbes. Soil health in the garden is built up through organic matter, broad forking, crop rotation, and compost teas. The garden does not use any herbicides, pesticides, or synthetic fertilizers.
In 2025, Daluviwi’ expanded its growing area by 50%, allowing for more output going into the future. The garden team hosted over a dozen tours, fed our community, nourished soil health, cared for pollinators, and hosted volunteers throughout the year. Through CalRecycle funding and our community compost system, Daluviwi’ was able to convert over 5 tons of food waste into compost used to grow over 50 varieties of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs! One of the primary causes of the Blue Lake Rancheria is to support education within both the Tribe and the general community. Daluviwi’ provided educational opportunities this year through its mentorship of interns and College Corps fellows. Throughout the year, BLR mentored 13 College Corps interns, 4 summer compost interns, and 1 high school intern. Thank you to all of the interns, volunteers, and community partners who made the success of Daluviwi’ possible in 2025.
Originally Published: 1/14/2026