by Chris Azbell
Hesci readers….welcome back to our fifth edition of Chewing the Cud with CMN Extension. Today, I am dreaming big and want to take you down a path exploring the ideals of food sovereignty and food security. Right now, the majority of us buy a larger percentage of our “groceries” from large box stores like Walmart, Sam’s, or Costco. Over the last several decades, more and more people have become disconnected from the land to the point where most of us are completely dependent on a third party for basic sustenance. To me, that is quite precarious and downright scary. The Covid-19 pandemic showed the fragility of our food distribution system and I think it is time for us as a Nation to make concerted efforts to enter the realm of agribusiness.
To flip the script on this slow erosion of our food sovereignty, I am imagining a complex system of food production that allows vertical integration to meet the needs and wants of Mvskoke citizens as well as our businesses. Farm to table operations. Can we produce at a scale that can feed our most food insecure citizens? Can we develop community gardens that supply food for already existing nutrition programs? Can we develop a Commodities or Food Cooperative where all citizens have an ability to sell their farm products? Instead of the Nation buying fresh fruits and vegetables from a third party, why can’t they buy it from our Food Cooperative?
The answer to each of the aforementioned questions is quite simple: yes we can. USDA food distribution programs ran by the tribe are willing and able to purchase food items from Mvskoke producers. We simply need to go through the proper steps to ensure the demand can be met on a regular and consistent basis. To try this out, I am proposing the development of a community/student farm under the umbrella of the College of the Muscogee Nation and utilize existing resources to put forty acres in cultivation. This would be a test or research station that could be scaled and expanded to other tribally/citizen owned lands. The end goal is for Mvskoke citizens to produce agricultural commodities such as beef, chicken, peanuts, fruits, vegetables, etc..that can be sold to USDA funded programs at the tribe. The result of these efforts will allow us to keep the money in the Nation’s economy and develop a food production system that can be relied up on. Plus, we will know where the food comes from and what chemicals have been used in the process.
The amazing thing about this plan is that it would not take too much effort to get it going. Moreover, all citizens can take part once the Mvskoke Food Cooperative has been established. The Coop would work directly with producers to meet the demand and fill available contracts. Small, family-owned farms will be the bread and butter of this arrangement. It will undoubtedly provide an economic boost to rural Mvskoke areas and more importantly allow citizens to put fallow land back into production. People often say, “if you can dream it, you can do it.” I agree wholeheartedly with that assessment. Let’s grow something big together.