Kehtekaewak Farmers Market
The Menominee Indian Reservation comprises over 235,000 acres of communities and homes in very rural areas. Many Tribal members live more than 30 minutes from the nearest grocery store. Since 2014, the College of Menominee Nation has operated the Kehtekaew ak “They Eat Food” Farmers Market in an effort to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables. It started with one table in front of the Menominee Boxing Club, with the limited variety of produce that the college was able to grow in its garden. Although limited coordination and planning went into the first year’s market, the community embraced the idea and asked for it to continue. In 2015, the college worked to establish a more permanent seasonal farmers market, partnering with the AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program. The college was able to use the federal VISTA program to bring young professionals in to work on projects, such as the farmers market, that were needed but otherwise not being worked on because of a lack of time, resources, and staffing. The VISTA program became an integral part of making the farmers market a reality. In its second year, the market moved to the parking lot of the college because there was more available space, and the facilities better met the needs of a public event. The college also felt it would help to get community members on campus to observe other opportunities and resources available. This continued every other week with different vendors from throughout the area until we had five or six vendor s. However, because the college’s parking lots were not visible from the main road, the market struggled to attract customers and vendors. Within the same year, the market moved to a campus parking lot that was adjacent to a highway that is a main thoroughfare for the reservation. This also turned out not to be a viable location as the speed limit was 55 miles per hour, and those passing by were not able to stop in time when seeing the market. In 2016, through consultation with the Menominee Tribal Clinic, UW-Extension, and the Tribal Community Development Department, we decided to move the market downtown to Menominee Veterans Park, on the bank of the Wolf River. This new location has street-side parking and the speed limit is only 25 miles per hour. In addition, this is a common spot for local community events and family parties, as it has electricity and a pavilion with picnic tables. The Tribal Community Development Department also provided portable toilets and handwashing stations. This was the first year the market obtained approval to accept EBT and SNAP-Ed food assistance payments, making fresh produce more affordable for vendors and community members. In addition, the Menominee Tribal Clinic provided an annual voucher to those 55 and older to spend at our market. The Farmers Market is an important venue for many reasons. For local growers, artists, and craftsman in Menominee County, the market is a source of additional income. For the community, it has become a Friday afternoon gathering place to visit with friends, listen to music, support local artisans, and purchase healthy foods. Although much progress has been made, the market still struggles to attract local community members who sell fresh produce. The most sought-after produce items are green beans, summer squashes, zucchini, and root vegetables. The market has grown to an average of 10 vendors a week, yet few are produce-specific. Many are either food or craft vendors. We continue to educate, provide resources, and
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