Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 17 A U G U S T 1 9 , 2 0 2 4 F O C U S G R E AT E R B A N G O R / N O R T H E R N M A I N E T wenty years ago, the Mi'kmaq Nation in Presque Isle started a community garden on an acre or two next to its government office and its largest residential area. As interest in the garden grew, it was moved to a site of about eight acres, at 1353 Presque Isle Road in Caribou, to accommodate expanded farm produc- tion and the development of an aquaculture opera- tion to grow native brook trout. Now plans are in the works to expand the hatch- ery as part of an overall project to share produce and fish within the Mi'kmaq community and with other tribes throughout the Wabanaki Nation. "is is a game-changer for our fisheries program and the Mi'kmaq Nation's goal to provide healthy and culturally relevant food to our community and beyond," says Shannon Hill, environmental health director for the Mi'kmaq Environmental Health Department. Food resilience Earlier this year, the Mi'kmaq Nation was awarded $500,000 in federal funds toward a total project cost of just over $5 million to expand its recirculating aquaculture brook trout hatchery. e goal is to cre- ate jobs, improve the long-term economic sustain- ability of the hatchery, and create economic and food resiliency within the community. e expansion is expected to support the tribe's mission of food sovereignty while also producing enough to market outside the community. e grant comes from the Northern Border Regional Commission with support from the Northern Maine Development Commission. e project includes buying the equipment needed to have the capacity to raise and process triple the amount of fish the hatchery currently produces. Native brook trout Mi'kmaq Farms grows a variety of produce and prides itself on not using chemicals. "e only thing we don't grow is potatoes," says Hill. "We're in the middle of potato country up here and we didn't feel a need to grow the same thing that dozens of other farmers are growing." e farm started small, employing one or two seasonal workers. Today there are 1.5 full-time and five part-time seasonal employees, along with a full- time, year-round manager. SALES@WAREBUTLER.COM Ware-Butler will supply products to earthwork and concrete jobs, roads/ bridges/construction jobs, grow businesses, storage units, livestock farms, health centers and commercial buildings of all types, infrastructure projects such as sand-salt sheds and municipal buildings, etc. WAREBUTLER.COM CONTACT US for your non-residential and commercial construction needs statewide in Maine. Put our statewide buying power and experienced sales team to work for you! Fabric / Pipe / Culverts / Styrofoam insulation / Construction lumber Sheet goods / Millwork / Metal roofing and siding products PRODUCTS OFFERED: AND MORE! C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » It's very important to us to develop and support jobs and the economic development abilities of our tribal people. — Shannon Hill Mi'kmaq Environmental Health Department

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