VERMILION RESERVATION- A farmers market is a place for local growers to sell their goods, but it is also a place to educate and share resources about local and traditional foods.
Niibin means “it is summer” in the Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) language. The word represents a time of connection to the land, harvesting medicines, and gathering berries.
The Niibin Market is a come-as-you-are gathering, welcoming youth, family, and elders. Planners said it is a time to enjoy the gifts of Niibin as a community.
Marissa Rose runs the food sovereignty program for Bois Forte, which has started sponsoring the Niibin monthly farmers market in Nett Lake and Vermilion. While they haven’t attracted any area farmers yet, they are sharing information on local foods, supplying vegetable and herb plants to bring home, and starting in August, will be supplying food boxes with locally-grown foods from Indigenous-owned companies, including Lakota Made (woman-owned company celebrated for its eco-friendly, plant-based product), Red Cliff Fish Company (Wild caught fish from Lake Superior), and more.
Rose said the program is grant-funded and is a continuation of the program previously funded by a SNAP Education grant, which was not funded this year.
“It actually was a blessing,” Rose said. “Now we get to serve our community in a more culturally appropriate way.” The SNAP program had more restrictions on how the funding could be spent. The new grant has allowed them to grow the program in ways that will be of more benefit to the community, she said.
The markets are being held the second Thursday of the month at Vermilion, and third Thursday at Nett Lake, though dates can change due to the weather. This month’s Vermilion market was postponed a week due to unhealthy levels of smoke in the air. Markets are planned in August and September. Any date changes would be noted on their Facebook page.
On July 23, Rose had a table with free t-shirts with the Niibin logo, a basket of kitchen supplies, and then lawn games and activities for youth. Elders stopped by to visit and find out about future programs, and kids from the Boys and Girls Club stopped by to try out the activities.
Corrina Lyons had her food booth set up, selling fruit smoothies, turkey legs, sweet potatoes, sandwiches, and salads.
Lyons said she plans on setting up her booth at all the upcoming markets, and she also works to keep her offerings affordable. “I will serve everyone,” she said, regardless of their ability to pay. She had a steady stream of employees from the tribal offices at Vermilion stopping by during their lunch break.
The program also sponsors a gardening club, which teaches both traditional and modern gardening techniques. They farm in a greenhouse in Nett Lake, which donates its produce to the senior nutrition program, youth programs, and the community.
They also sponsor activities to encourage traditional food harvesting including fish netting camp programs, wild rice harvesting programs, plus deer hunting and snaring. This month they held blueberry picking trips.
The activities have had really good participation, Rose said. And many activities are done in collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club in both locations.
The Nutrition Education Program provides education to all age groups on various topics about nutrition, wellness, indigenous plants, and food sovereignty. They offer individual and group lessons that include, but are not limited to, cultural teachings, gardening, cooking classes, demonstrations, food safety, grocery shopping on a budget, healthy recipes, etc.