The Nisqually Tribe has over the past 20 years been pursuing a diversified economic and community development strategy aimed at providing living wage jobs for the tribal membership and revenue to the tribal organization. As part of this effort, the Tribe has identified as a priority the development of a sovereign foods program that will provide food security to low income tribal individual and families. The tribe has to date developed a successful community garden program, a tribal shellfish farm and program, and fish and shellfish buying and processing programs targeted at supporting tribal food sovereignty, making fresh produce and protein available to the tribal community and creating a source of revenue and employment for the tribal membership. The Nisqually LFPA Food Sovereignty Program will support this effort by facilitating the distribution of food from eligible producers and providers to at risk families and individuals within the Tribe’s 2 county service area.
The Nisqually Indian Tribe will enter into a Local Food Purchase Agreement to provide produce, meat, dairy, and other minimally processed items to, membership of the Nisqually Tribe. At least 50% of these purchases will come from socially disadvantaged producers in our region and at least 10% of the purchases will be of culturally relevant foods such as fish and venison. By the end of the two-year agreement the Nisqually tribe will have distributed $4,500,000 worth of purchased food to the tribal Community through its Food Sovereignty Program together with deliveries for the homebound. This program will not only supplement the grocery budgets of tribal members but also connect socially disadvantaged producers with the Nisqually food program.