This session is co-hosted by SAFSF, the EFOD Collaborative and First Nations Development Institute.

This conversation offers funders, investors, and practitioners a window into how two Indigenous-owned enterprises are repairing longstanding infrastructure and market gaps in their respective communities, and highlights the critical role that integrated capital and practitioner-led technical assistance play in land acquisition deals.

Native Wise LLC (Fond du Lac Reservation) and Bidii Baby Foods LLC (Navajo Nation) are building market channels and infrastructure for regenerative, place-based food economies. Together they demonstrate how Indigenous producers are designing food systems that are ecologically sound and economically viable despite persistent structural barriers in capital and land access. Both enterprises became members of the EFOD Collaborative network through a recently launched funding partnership with the First Nations Development Institute, and have received a range of support in the form of technical assistance, grants, and non-extractive capital to secure land.   

Native Wise LLC, owned and operated by David and Patra Wise, operate a 380 acre historic ranch on the Fond Du Lac Reservation through a USDA partnership. Native Wise funds most of its infrastructure projects with revenue from USDA certified Bison meat products, wild rice, maple syrup, and honey sold to neighboring city Whole Foods stores and local restaurants, including the Sioux Chef and his restaurant Owamni. In 2025, Native Wise LLC received a 0% interest $250K investment and a $50K general operating grant from EFOD’s integrated capital fund to expand their ranch and support the reintroduction of Native plant species, bison, and the critically endangered Ojibway Spirit horse as part of their broader land revitalization work.

Bidii Baby Foods LLC, founded by Zach and Mary Ben on the Navajo Nation, is a small family farm and agricultural cooperative that produces dehydrated and freeze-dried baby food made from traditional crops. Nearly 30% of families on the Navajo Nation lack electricity, and fresh food often requires a 50-mile drive. Bidii Baby Foods LLC addresses both storage and accessibility challenges with nutrient-dense, shelf-stable products that are also rooted in ancestral foodways. In 2025, Bidii Baby Foods LLC received technical assistance (TA) through EFOD’s TA program to close on an agricultural property and traditional food manufacturing facility.

Speakers

• Mary Ben, Co-Founder, Bidii Baby Foods LLC
• Richard Elm-Hill, Director, Native Agriculture and Food Systems Investments, First Nations Development Institute 
• Monica Cadena, Communications and Storytelling Director, EFOD Collaborative
• Ciara Segura, Director, Strategy and Resource Mobilization EFOD Collaborative (Moderator) 
• David Wise, Owner, Native Wise LLC