Joe Dunn has a shovel, $37,000 and a golden opportunity to find the grass half full.

Of promise.

His idea is to drive that blade deep into forsaken soil, turn over the duff and rediscover some roots. Some hope. Some health. He calls it oyate tawoju.

The Planting People Project.

Dunn's goal down on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation is to give people a healthy alternative to both their diet and lifestyle. Something traditional to eat, something constructive to do. He has secured a grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service to plant four-acre community gardens in half of Standing Rock's eight districts.

"The way we got started with this idea was because of the rate of diabetes and heart disease in our native communities," Dunn said. "We thought there was a need to introduce more fresh produce and promote that kind of diet and some of those healthy practices."

The NRCS applauded Dunn's efforts to create "incentives for the youth and adults to provide a sense of achievement and accomplishment."

Dunn is project manager for the Standing Rock Tribal Conservation District. He'll select which four communities get money for a garden based on requests from the towns.

"Basically, it's going to be first come, first served,"Dunn said. "Each of the communities has their own government, so what they would do is they could use the garden for providing subsistence in their community, or as a small source of income for their community, or they could plot it out for individuals."

Although the gardens won't be dug until next spring, Dunn's office has already set up a centralized farmer's market in Fort Yates. In addition to produce, local artisans will be able to sell their wares at the market.

That all-around community betterment is what appealed to the NRCS. The agency, through its Conservation Innovation program, awarded a total of $141,000 to three North Dakota projects. The grants were funneled through the Dakota Prairies Resource Conservation and Development Council, which is the community outreach division of the NRCS.

"It's something that has not been actively done on a lot of reservations," said Wayne Markegard, of Dakota Prairies RC&D. "They see this as an opportunity to have each district get involved, let residents grow a garden, learn how to market their product and stimulate some economic development in their communities. It's a starting point to get something going."

The money was allocated this summer, and is to be used over three years.

That's three more summers of growth. In the garden and in some souls.

"This grant helps to provide employment, it helps to provide a product and it helps provide opportunities for people who need them," Dunn said.

(Reach reporter Tony Spilde at 250-8260 or tony.spilde@;bismarcktribune.com.)