At Meechooôk Farm in North Stonington

From time immemorial, beyond memory or record, the Pequots lived along the coasts and inland between the Nehantic and Pawtucket Rivers. The traditional Pequot diet was diverse, consisting of wild turkey, white-tailed deer, local fish including tautag, shellfish including quahog and mussels, berries, nuts, and mushrooms. The “Three Sisters” – corn, beans, and squash – were grown together to compliment what was hunted or foraged.

Local, indigenous food sovereignty is a top priority for the Pequots to this day. Food sovereignty is the right for people to produce, distribute, and consume their own food. Both the Mashantucket Pequot Meechooôk Farm, and Weekápaheek Project enable local food cultivation, and community building.

The current Mashantucket Pequot Reservation spans 1,635 acres in Southeastern Connecticut, and Meechooôk Farm comprises approximately 600 of those acres to provide local food to members of the Tribe. The Weekápaheek Project, a Sugar Shack which started in the 1970s and was reinvigorated more recently by Tribal Member Jeremy Whipple, exists to carry on the Pequot tradition of making local maple syrup.

“The Tribe is focused on the health of the Tribal Members and enhancing health nutrition education in the community,” states Marissa Turnbull, Director of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Department of Agriculture. Food from Meechooôk Farm is distributed to the Tribal Community once per week June through September. Tribal Members each have a box where they can choose what they want. Each box is around 20 pounds of food, and between 120 to 220 boxes of food are distributed each week.

“The Tribal Department of Agriculture and Tribal Health Department are working together to better understand how to track any health improvements related to concerns such as obesity and diabetes,” Marissa shares. The Tribe has a Food Rx – produce prescription program – where Tribal Health Services can prescribe produce to diabetic patients. This healthy food is covered by insurance and provided at no cost.

The Tribe will additionally maintain a community fridge, and a community freezer in the Community Center beginning this summer. The Community Center offers programming for older children after school. Fresh fruits and vegetables are available for snacks. There is a strong Tribal youth community, and it is important to the Tribe for young people to see where their food is coming from.

Meechooôk Farm serves as a traditional farm where food is grown on about 12 acres in the fields. The crop list includes around 45 different types of crops including golden watermelon, sugar pumpkins, butternut squash, strawberries, and many others. Approximately 25,000 pounds of produce is grown each year. The farm has a small livestock operation including some cows, pigs, and chickens. The chickens are primarily raised for eggs.

Tribal Members have embraced strategies that enable them to grow food year-round. The farm has four high tunnels which serve as season extenders and operate around ten months out of the year. Two of the high tunnels are used for hydroponics. The Tribe began using hydroponic systems in the 1970s. One high tunnel is used for a nutrient film technique (NFT) hydroponic system and is typically used for lettuce. A second high tunnel is used for a Dutch bucket hydroponic system and is typically used for tomatoes and strawberries. The final two high tunnels are dirt floor and are usually used during the summer months.

The farm also has two Freight Farms which are controlled-environment, indoor, vertical farms, which operate year-round. These systems operate within shipping containers. The Freight Farms are primarily used for hydroponic lettuce production and can produce approximately 990 heads of lettuce each week.

“We are figuring out how to balance different innovative ways of producing food while staying very much rooted in our culture and traditions. Right now, we are trying to make sure that the model is sustainable and that we can continue moving forward,” Marissa explains.

Micheal Martins serves as the Meechooôk Farm Supervisor. He is a Tribal Member who has been gardening his whole life. He helped fellow Tribal Member Jeremy Whipple with the Sugar Shack. “My favorite thing is cooking the sap to make syrup at the end of winter,” Micheal reflects.

During the Maple Moon every year at the end of the maple syrup season, the Tribe has a free pancake breakfast for all the Tribal Members featuring the maple syrup that has been made throughout the season. Micheal enjoys creating events for the community, especially ones that children can enjoy.

Micheal is supported on the farm by Agricultural Laborers Bryan Holder, and Shi Spears. Bryan was born on the Reservation and lives there today. “I am happy to be working on the Reservation for my tribe and carrying on the tradition,” Bryan shares. “My favorite thing about the farm is growing tomatoes and working in the high tunnel. It’s nice to learn about all kinds of growing and find more efficient ways to grow produce.”

During the summertime, typically between three and six high school aged Tribal youth work on the farm alongside the main team. “We have great people working with us who help us do everything. We couldn’t get it done without them,” Micheal states.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribe’s balance of tradition and innovation placed into action by their community members is a true testament to their commitment to local food sovereignty.