Nation's Natural Resources Department, personal communication, August, 2005). Today

a few Cherokee communities participate in religious activities which honor agricultural

activities through ceremonies such the as the Green Corn Ceremony. Some of these

Cherokees garden communally more for symbolic reasons rather than for subsistence

within various stomp ground in the 14 counties. Further, Cherokee commercial farmers

have access to loans, farm implements, incentive programs and agricultural education

programs. These are available through various USDA programs, such as Farm Service

Agency, Cooperative State Research Extension and Education Services and Natural

Resources Conservation Services. The Cherokee Nation's Natural Resource Department

employs an agricultural liaison. This individual informs Cherokee farmers about USDA

programs and other marketing resources through newsletters, field days, workshops and

fairs.

 Today there is no census available about the number of Cherokees farming.

According to the USDA's 2002 Agriculture Census the number of American Indian

farmers as principal operators in Oklahoma is 7,470 and has increased since 1997

(USDA, 2005, p.10). American Indians in Oklahoma cultivate 1.5 million acres of land

on 6,392 farms (USDA, 2002, p.502). According to the census Oklahoma also has the

highest number of American Indian principal operators. Within Cherokee Nation's 14

county jurisdiction there are 2797 farms, which is 44% of all Indian farms in Oklahoma.

There are 3228 principal farm operators, 43% of all Oklahoma American Indian principal

farm operators, and approximately 537,00 acres of land under cultivation or 36% of all

Oklahoma land cultivated by Indians (USDA, 2002, p.502) (Appendix A). Prior to

allotment in the late 1890s before Oklahoma statehood, the Nation owned approximately

1.7 million acres of land. Today the Cherokee Nation owns approximately 100,000 acres