The annual Indian Corn harvest in Winnebago took place on September 5. The majority of the harvest took place in the Ho-Chunk Village Farmers Market area.
Nearly 125 community members and Ho-Chunk, Inc. employees showed up to help with the process, which includes handpicking, husking, then blanching the corn in large pots over a fire pit. Once cooled, the kernels were removed by hand using a spoon and sun dried on screens.
The traditional activity serves as a way to connect community members and revitalize cultural traditions. People from all ages worked together on the harvest, sharing stories and cultural teachings while making sure an important part of Winnebago history is not lost.
The Indian Corn is raised by Winnebago Public School Academy (WPSA) as a fundraiser; the school raised just shy of $4,000 for this year’s crop. This helps fund their educational trips throughout the year and incorporates education, cultural preservation, and entrepreneurialism.
Students from WPSA delivered the corn to SweetGrass Trading Company, where it will be packaged and sold in our online store. This partnership between SweetGrass and Ho-Chunk Farms has been in place since 2017, and serves as an effort to make authentic Indigenous foods such as Indian Corn accessible to Tribal members across the country.