Our Agriculture Department is just beginning, guided by the strength and knowledge of our community. While we are starting to build larger scale agricultural practices, our foundation comes from the teachings we’ve already been sharing. Focusing on bringing together western approaches to growing with our traditional Indigenous ways of foraging, hunting, and living with the land. As we move forward, our focus is on growing together and fortifying a stronger Leech Lake Nation.

MISSION:

To strengthen Leech Lake’s food systems by supporting access to healthy foods, revitalizing traditional Anishinaabe foodways, and empowering community driven solutions through education, programs, and partnerships.

VISION:

A sovereign food system where Leech Lake families are nourished, connected to land, and empowered through sustainable, culturally grounded agricultural practices.

Key Agricultural Grant Requested Initiatives

agriculture initiative

Hands-On Training

We are focusing on creating training farms/gardens as spaces for learning, connection, and hands-on experience in planting, seed saving, and caring for native seeds. To create and develop pathways and create jobs for our Nation.

food preservation

Community knowledge

We are also looking at expanding community knowledge around food preservation and food waste rescue, helping to ensure that what we distribute and harvest nourishes our people year-round.

Agriculture

Mashkode-bizhikiiwag

Our work includes the stewardship of our mashkode-bizhikiiwag relatives. Reconnecting with cultural traditions while strengthening our local food systems. Through all of this, we are building capacity within our community to support one another in creating a healthy, sustainable future rooted in shared knowledge and respect for the land.

We encourage you to follow our evolving work and remain connected and involved as we move forward together!

Your voice matters and we drive our project development on community input. Please feel free to utilize this survey for any areas you’d like to see growth or areas we are missing.