Open: Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Seeking Input for a Community Kitchen Space

KBIC has a long history of food harvesting for both subsistence and commercial use. Efforts to encourage local food sovereignty have included working with community to provide workshops that include harvesting, gathering, and processing of traditional foods, food safety and HACCP training, equipment assistance, a community garden and orchard, as well as the development of a fish processing facility and teaching kitchen.

 Currently, the KBIC - Natural Resources Department is gathering community input via a series of focus groups, interviews, and a community survey to guide the development of a shared-use commercial kitchen facility. A shared-use kitchen is a licensed kitchen available to rent in hourly time blocks by everyone including local entrepreneurs, farmers, businesses, organizations, and community members. Shared kitchens are supplied with commercial-grade resources where users of the kitchen can safely process, cook, and package food products for resale, events, and community meals. The space can also provide additional resources such as business mentorships, food licensing guidance, marketing, and collaboration opportunities to community members looking to start or maintain a food business at a low cost.

Members of the community are encouraged to give input on the project by taking a brief survey. The survey can be accessed until August 27th online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KBICKitchen.

Paper copies can also be obtained at the Natural Resources Department (14359 Pequaming Rd) and the WUPPDR office located at 400 Quincy Street, 8th Floor, Hancock, Michigan. Please share the survey with whomever you think would be interested! The more responses we receive the better we can tailor the facility to our needs.

Kathleen Smith working in the community garden