SMSC Stories

Enjoy Local, Organic Produce Responsibly Grown by the SMSC

One of the best parts of summer in Minnesota is enjoying locally grown vegetables, fruits, and herbs. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) makes it easy for local residents to enjoy these gifts of the season. Mazopiya, a natural food market and café owned and operated by the SMSC, offers locally grown, in-season vegetables grown at the Community’s very own Wozupi Tribal Gardens, which is about one mile from the store.

Meaning “garden” in the Dakota language, Wozupi (pronounced woh-zhu-pee) is a certified organic vegetable garden and fruit orchard. The produce at Wozupi is hand-picked at the peak of freshness, immediately cooled, and prepared for the short drive to Mazopiya. This means that customers receive the freshest and most natural vegetables and fruits possible, perfect for a healthy snack or as the star in summer salads and dishes.

Wozupi grows food in a natural way that nourishes the earth, prioritizing the traditional Native American practices of land stewardship. As part of its mission to be a good steward of the earth, Wozupi practices what some farmers call “beyond organic” to achieve environmental and ethical goals that exceed those that are required to be a certified organic farm.

These practices include no-till soil management, intensive compost application, cover cropping, living mulches, supporting and enhancing the surrounding ecosystem, and using beneficial insects to control pests. Because of this commitment to sustainable and natural farming, you can feel good about what you're putting into your body and trust that it was grown with minimal impact to our planet.

Wozupi also has a greenhouse and high tunnels, allowing it to push the definition of “in season” by starting crops indoors before the growing season has started. That means Mazopiya is always one of the first markets in the area with locally grown produce and can extend the harvest season to nine months a year. Here’s what you can expect to find on Mazopiya’s shelves from Wozupi this season:

• Cucumbers
• Kale
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Zucchini
• Scallions
• Fresh herbs
• Salad greens
• Carrots

Many of these fresh ingredients will also be featured in Mazopiya deli items this summer. Swing by and look for the Wozupi signs in the Mazopiya produce section and you’ll know you’re getting nothing but the freshest produce available.