Gary Besaw

In Spring 2018, the Menominee Nation took another strategic stand against opioid abuse, horrendous health statistics and high poverty rates by creating a Department of Agriculture and Food Systems (DAFS), of which I was honored to be selected as our first director. The genesis of DAFS was also another piece in the Nation’s start towards the re-creation of an ancient, sustainable food system that the Menominee Nation had in place for thousands of years. DAFS was created to assist our community to reteach our agricultural and agroforestry past and re-develop an independent and sovereign tribal food system and economy.