Sawyer, MN
“For over two decades, Spirit Lake Native Farms has been a Minnesota-grown product and local source of pure maple syrup and wild rice. Our unwavering mission is to share this tradition with not just our children and community but also to educate the general public about food sovereignty. Last year, we finished approximately 12,000 pounds of wild rice and 300 gallons of pure maple syrup. We set up through the summers at the American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO) farmers market and also provide individual tribes, businesses, and families with wild rice and maple syrup throughout the year.”
– Bruce Savage and Tawny Smith-Savage, owner
The Project
The farm is planning to upgrade its gravity-separating table for processing wild rice. The goal is to improve the process, enhancing the overall business while keeping sustainability at the forefront of operations.
Environmental Impact
Spirit Lake Native Farm’s main objective has always been to achieve sustainability. They use salvaged slabwood from a local sawmill to fuel their roasting process; their wild rice is certified organic; and they primarily sell wild rice within the local and Great Lakes region. They have established networks that directly benefit indigenous families and communities.
![A large industrial machine processes and spills out loose material into a wooden container. The setting appears to be a covered outdoor workspace with trees and a blue storage container visible in the background.](https://wholefoods.coop/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_1305-edit-768x1024.jpg)
![Two people are working together in a process involving machinery. One person, wearing glasses, is focused on the task, while the other person is using a brush to handle materials on a metal surface. They are in an industrial or workshop setting.](https://wholefoods.coop/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/19.jpg)
![A large pile of dried rice stalks is spread out, covering most of the frame. The stalks are intertwined and have varying shades of brown, tan, and gold, creating a textured and dense surface. The image appears to be taken indoors.](https://wholefoods.coop/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_6987-edit.jpg)