Legislators tour Bay Mills Community College in its fight for food sovereignty

Bay Mills Community College (BMCC) welcomed Sen. Ed McBroom and Rep. Dave Prestin to Waishkey Bay Farm on Friday.

Bay Mills Indian Community Tribal Chair Whitney Gravelle joined the legislators, who learned all of the ways in which BMCC preserves Native American traditions and beliefs throughout the EUP.

The main focus of the tour was to highlight BMCC's work in creating a healthier, more affordable community food supply.   

"We are providing education to farmers and gardeners," BMCC Farm Manager Kat Jacques said. "Community food sovereignty is beyond production agriculture and more helping a small scale of folks produce for themselves."

BMCC's Waishkey Bay Farm is an approximate 280-acre property used for education, research, and incubation to create sustainable agriculture and food production. Its operations include vegetable production, pasture poultry production and processing, domestic blueberry production, novel berry research, beekeeping, raising grass-fed beef, raising poultry, and industrial hemp research.

"We want to enter the value chain for restaurants, school meal programs, elderly meal programs, and grocery stores," Jacques said. "We sell our beef. We are working to get our poultry and other products into Four Seasons Market and Deli, which is owned by the tribe."

Waishkey Bay Farm currently sells its produce at Bay Mills/Brimley Farmer's Market, where state assistance benefits are accepted. 

"In your success, I hope we are able to use Waishkey Bay Farm as a story to flip the way we look at these types of issues in Michigan," Prestin said. "There are a tremendous amount of people who envy the way that you eat... the way I eat. They are stuck at the supermarkets, choosing meats injected with sodium chloride and fillers."

BMCC President Duane Bedell was pleased to have demonstrated how the college's agricultural work strengthens Bay Mills Indian Community.

The tribally controlled college is one of the four land grant institutions in the state. Land-grant colleges utilize federal land gifted to the state to be sold in support of agricultural growth and sustainability. It has helped to make Waishkey Bay Farm a reality.

"This is a great example of community work," McBroom said. "This is an effort to maintain a community, helping them to grow food and gain skills lost over time. This is not just a tribal isssue. Bay Mills is helping to solve food issues, while teaching people to come together and work together."

To learn more about BMCC honey production, view Waishkey Bay Farm Beekeeping for videos and resources. Learn more about BMCC beef herd-share when you click here. 

If interested in participating and/or learning more about agriculture through BMCC Waishkey Bay Farm, click here.