Native Wise

What Native Wise does

Native Wise LLC is a Native-owned and operated farm founded by David Wise on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Sawyer, Minnesota, operating under the philosophy of "Mino Mashkiki" (Good Medicine). The company produces and sells hand-harvested traditional foods — including Native Wild Rice (Manoomin), 100% pure maple syrup, raw honey, and USDA-certified bison meat — alongside bison-derived skincare, branded apparel, and gift items. Its primary customers are health-conscious consumers seeking authentic, sustainably-produced Indigenous foods, the local Fond du Lac community served through food sovereignty and CSA programs, and a broader national audience reached via DTC e-commerce.

The product portfolio spans natural foods (wild rice in 0.5lb to 20lb sizes, maple syrup in 8oz to 1-gallon containers, raw honey, pancake mix, wild rice flour, fish batter, maple sugar), bison products (ground bison, ribeye, chuck roast, stew meat, filet, NY strip, smoked sticks, summer sausage), bison-tallow skincare (Boss Babe Body Butter, Brutus Balm), and branded fashion (hoodies, t-shirts, beanies, totes). Production rests on traditional Indigenous methods — two-person canoe Manoomin harvesting and four-step processing passed down through generations — alongside USDA-certified bison ranching on the 350-acre Dancing Crane Ranch. A parallel Ojibwe Spirit Horse breeding program, supported through the Mino Aki Mashkiki 501(c)(3) nonprofit, conserves an endangered breed that numbered only 4 globally in the 1970s.

The business operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer model: a WooCommerce-based e-commerce store with nationwide shipping, appointment-only on-farm bison meat sales at the Sawyer, MN ranch, CSA monthly food box subscriptions distributed through Indigenous First and AICHO partnerships, and local co-op distribution including Whole Foods Co-op. Pricing is unit-based across SKUs (from a $6.50 beeswax candle up to $390 bulk wild rice), with CSA structured as 6-month recurring plans and donation tiers ($25-$250) supporting the Ojibwe Spirit Horse program. The company has received $52,000 in grant funding to date, remains bootstrapped without institutional equity, and operates with 1-10 employees from a single headquarters location.

Name

Native Wise

Legal name

Native Wise LLC

Website

https://nativewisellc.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Native-owned farm on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Sawyer, Minnesota, producing and selling hand-harvested wild rice, maple syrup, raw honey, USDA-certified bison meat, and bison-derived skincare via DTC e-commerce, on-farm sales, and CSA subscriptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural Foods

NAICS

Dual-Purpose Cattle Ranching and Farming (112130)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Bison Ranching (AFAEAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Farm-to-Consumer Produce Boxes / CSA Delivery (AFAIANAC), Farmers’ Markets & Farm Stands (Fresh Food) (CRAHAHAE)

Keywords

• Wild rice harvesting
• Bison meat products
• Maple syrup production
• Indigenous farming practices
• Natural food products

Headquarters

HQ city

Sawyer

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Product Sales: Online sales of natural foods (wild rice, maple syrup, honey, bison products), fashion items, and gift products through their WooCommerce website with nationwide shipping.
2. On-Farm Bison Meat Sales: Fresh USDA-certified bison cuts sold directly from farm with appointment scheduling. Products include ground bison, ribeye, chuck roast, stew meat, filet, NY strip steaks.
3. CSA Subscriptions: Community Supported Agriculture monthly food box subscriptions offered in 6-month plans (July-December and January-June) through Indigenous First.
4. Donations for Ojibwe Spirit Horses: Tax-deductible donations through Mino Aki Mashkiki 501(c)(3) nonprofit to support horse care, veterinary services, and breed preservation programs.
5. Hay Bale Donations for Horses: Square bales ($10) and large round bales ($75) sold to support Ojibwe Spirit Horse care and feeding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Native Wise produces and sells natural foods including hand-harvested wild rice (Manoomin), pure maple syrup, raw honey, and USDA-certified bison meat products, along with branded fashion apparel, gift boxes, and bison-derived skincare. The farm operates on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Sawyer, Minnesota, using Indigenous agricultural practices and traditional harvesting methods. Distribution occurs via direct-to-consumer e-commerce, on-farm pickup by appointment, CSA subscriptions, and local co-ops.

Product overview

Native Wise LLC is a Native-owned and operated farm on the Fond du Lac Reservation in Sawyer, Minnesota, offering a diverse portfolio of natural food products, bison meat, Ojibwe Spirit Horse support items, fashion merchandise, and gifts. The core products include hand-harvested Native Wild Rice (Manoomin), 100% Pure Maple Syrup, Raw Honey, and bison meat products (Smoked Bison Sticks, Bison Summer Sausage). The company also offers bison-derived skincare products (Boss Babe Body Butter, Brutus Balm), pancake and baking mixes using wild rice flour, and Ojibwe Spirit Horse support donations (Square Bale, Large Round Bale, direct donations to Mino Aki Mashkiki 501(c)(3)). Fashion merchandise includes Good Medicine and Do Not Pet the Fluffy Cows branded apparel (hoodies, T-shirts, long sleeves, beanies, totes). Gift options include Gift Cards and curated Gift Boxes. The company operates with a philosophy of 'Mino Mashkiki' (Good Medicine), focusing on soil health, restorative farming, and Indigenous agricultural practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Native Wild Rice

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced anxiety and improved wellness through natural product consumption
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tanka FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Tanka Fund partnered with Native Wise to help bring their first bison to the ranch in November 2022. Tanka Fund is an organization dedicated to supporting Indigenous bison ranchers and has been instrumental in the bison restoration effort on the Fond du Lac Reservation.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Tanka Fund to help bring bison to Native Wise's ranch. The Nature Conservancy supports conservation efforts and land restoration projects.
• Dakota Pure BisonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNative Wise intends to work with Dakota Pure Bison in South Dakota to supply top quality bison products to customers and continually improve their bison genetics and grow their herd.
• Tanka Fund, NRCS, Whole Foods Co-opcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership that helped Native Wise complete their buffalo release. Tanka Fund provided funding support, NRCS contributed technical assistance, and Whole Foods Co-op helped with community outreach.
• American Indian Community Housing Organization (AICHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with AICHO to offer educational classes for youth ages 6-18 on topics including horse care, seed saving, bee keeping, and livestock management. Also collaborated on CSA program distribution.
• Indigenous FirstcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Indigenous First website for CSA monthly food box sign-ups and purchases. Indigenous First serves as the distribution platform for their Community Supported Agriculture program.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Great Range Bison: Great Range Bison is a Kansas bison ranch selling premium bison meat and value-added products directly to consumers and wholesale. Comparable to Native Wise on bison product range, ranch-to-customer supply chain, and regenerative ranch positioning.
• North Star Bison: North Star Bison is a Wisconsin-based bison ranch offering grass-fed bison meat, bones, and other bison products. Comparable to Native Wise on direct-to-consumer bison sales, USDA-certified processing, and family-ranch scale.
• Tanka Bar (Native American Natural Foods): Tanka Bar produces bison-based snack products sourced from Native-owned ranches and is closely comparable to Native Wise on the bison product side, Native ownership, and mission-driven brand positioning.
• Dakota Pure Bison: Dakota Pure Bison is a South Dakota bison operation that is a stated genetics and supply partner to Native Wise. Directly comparable on bison ranching, herd genetics, and supply relationships for premium Native-sourced bison.
• Wild Idea Buffalo: Wild Idea Buffalo is a regenerative bison ranch in South Dakota selling grass-finished bison meat, sticks, and other products direct-to-consumer. It is a direct peer on the ranch-to-consumer bison business model and regenerative grazing practices.
• Pine Lake Wild Rice: Pine Lake Wild Rice harvests and sells Minnesota lake wild rice direct to consumers. Closely comparable to Native Wise on the hand-harvested Manoomin / wild rice product line and Minnesota sourcing.

Others

• Tanka Fund: Tanka Fund is a nonprofit that supports Indigenous bison ranchers and was instrumental in Native Wise's herd launch. Adjacent enabling organization rather than a competitor, but highly relevant for understanding Native bison ecosystem dynamics.
• Indigenous First: Indigenous First is the distribution platform Native Wise uses for CSA subscriptions. Comparable as an Indigenous-owned food distribution channel and relevant for benchmarking community-led GTM and CSA operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NativeWiseLLC
• Instagraminstagram.com/nativewisellc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Native Wise