Sowing the Seeds of Sovereignty

Little Traverse Bay Band's Ziibimijwang Farm is growing ancestral food for the health of its tribe and the Up North community

By Eric Cox | Oct. 3, 2020

The Little Traverse Bay Band (LTBB) of Odawa Indians is using its green thumb to press a tribal hot-button issue: food sovereignty.

The tribe’s mission to become food independent took root four years ago at Ziibimijwang Farm, a 300-acre former pumpkin farm a few miles west of Carp Lake, near the tip of the mitt.

The project was conceived in 2015 when tribal leaders realized their citizens’ need for healthier, locally grown food, as well as knowledge about ancestral food production and preservation methods.

Stimulating the LTBB’s plan: an alarming rise of diabetes and pre-diabetic diagnoses within the tribe. With these challenges in mind, the LTBB set out to improve the tribe’s diet not by newfangled diets or exercise but by getting back to the foundational basics of generations before: farming, gardening, and cooking. 

GAME CHANGER
According to Joe VanAlstine, LTBB’s director of food distribution and chairman of the farm board, most of the credit for bringing to life the tribe's vision for the farm goes to Farm Manager Kafui OKai Adjei, whom everyone refers to as “KK”.

KK, an immigrant from Ghana with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, is a well-known figure in Northern Michigan farm circles, according to VanAlstine, a U.S. Navy veteran and trained welder. For 14 years, KK served as the ag manager for Pondhill Farm, a sprawling destination north of Harbor Springs that's home not only to a thriving working farm but also its own brewery, winery, cafe, market, and many public and private events.

But when VanAlstine initially approached KK about the job, he said, KK wasn't interested; he wanted to remain at Pond Hill Farm. And Ziibimijwang Farm — a 300-acre swath, of which only 100 are tillable — was in a precarious position.

Only three years old, its first two farm managers were gone. And while it had earned enough to pay for its $600,000 purchase price, hundreds of thousands more were needed to repair and add infrastructure; install irrigation, greenhouses, and hoop houses; and buy a new tractor and other machinery.

Knowing the farm operation couldn’t continue asking for money from the LTBB tribal council, which had so far financed the operation, VanAlstine pinned all hopes on KK. He believed KK's expertise and experience could help the farm sell enough produce to finally break even, if not push it into the black. So VanAlstine did the one thing he could do: He showed KK Ziibimijwang’s gorgeous, sprawling … potential.

“ … when we brought him out here, he saw the place and changed his mind [about staying at Pond Hill],” said VanAlstine.

OBSTACLES, ORGANICS & ULTIMATE GOALS
KK’s reputation opened the doors the LTBB desperately needed to enter — particularly those of regional farmers markets. And with a growing list of farmers markets at which to vend their goods, KK and VanAlstine saw their luck turning for the better — even in the face of the pandemic.

“It’s had a dramatic effect on the farm, for sure,” said Van Alstine. “But, overall we’re not down that much from last year’s numbers.”

That should come as no surprise, given the obvious quality of the farm’s produce. A tour of the 100 acres reveals a large “Three Sisters Garden,” the siblings being staples of traditional Odawa cuisine: corn, beans, and squash.

Rows of towering, golden sunflowers flank beds of massive, orange-pink squash. Mounded dirt is crowned by stalks of corn whose ears are studded with brightly colored kernels, some black as coal and others ruby red. A short crop of bright purple lettuce runs neatly along a 50-yard grassy strip. Nearby, pumpkins wait for harvest in a field, and the green tops of carrots, still rooted in the sandy soil, await a gentle pull.

Though not officially certified as a USDA organic farm, all production at Ziibimijwang is done without chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides.

Even this late in the season, the farm is producing goods that will bolster its bottom line while adding fresher, more nutritional options for LTBB citizens. Ultimately, VanAlstine said, the tribe wants to be able to feed its own citizens by itself — without the help of the federal or state government.

That belief, which was embraced by the LTBB about six years ago, crystallized earlier this year when the pandemic struck. The situation brought supply chains into sharp focus worldwide, cementing the tribe’s resolve to push toward food sovereignty, in spite of challenging times.

It seems to be working. A few weeks ago, VanAlstine and others at the farm distributed free food boxes to about 200 local tribal families. A variety of fresh produce — all grown at Ziibimijwang Farm — and other items comprised the boxes.

“People do like our produce, especially KK’s carrots and beets,” VanAlstine said. “Some think we’re a little pricey, but we try to make them understand that we have to make money to sustain the farm. Of course, a lot of people do understand. But, I think they do genuinely like our produce.”

PRESERVING HISTORY & PRODUCE
Fresh vegetables are great in season. But VanAlstine said another facet of the farm involves reviving ancestral food preservation methods. Scorched corn, for example, is corn on the cob that's blackened over a fire. Then the blackened kernels are cut off the cob and further dried, preserving them for future use in soups, etc.

“We’re having to relearn a lot of this stuff, and a lot of it is trial and error,” he said. “But they learned it somehow. So we can, too.

According to VanAlstine, knowledge of such food preservation practices is critical to sustaining the tribal culture and an important part of getting back to the simpler, healthier diets Odawa Indians have strayed from over the decades.

In fact, he, KK, and other partners in the farm's growing future are working to resurrect some of the native vegetables once used by Odawa ancestors. While always aiming for heirloom variety vegetables, the team is also propagating and harvesting ingredients that have all but disappeared, such as pole beans, squash, different corn varieties, and wild rice.

To find out more about Ziibimijwang Farm and keep up with its current produce and events, search "Ziibimijwang Farm" on Facebook.

TASTE THE RAINBOW
A vast variety of Ziibimijwang Farm's produce and products are available at both winter and summer farmers markets in Petoskey, Boyne City, Charlevoix, and Harbor Springs. Additionally, the farm supplies a seasonal fruit and vegetable store, Minogin Market, located at 229 S. Huron Ave., Mackinaw City. (231) 427-7001