The Wattleseed Collective is a not-for-profit social enterprise working with Kimberley Aboriginal people to undertake sustainable wild harvesting of Kimberley wattleseed.
An initiative of Environs Kimberley, the Wattleseed Collective is a collaborative start-up. Partners are: Nyangumarta Rangers (facilitated by Yamtji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation), Karajarri Rangers (facilitated by Karajarri Traditional Lands Association), Bardi Jawi and Nyul Nyul Rangers (facilitated by the Kimberley Land Council), Yawuru Country Managers (facilitated by Nyamba Buru Yawuru), Yiriman Women Bush Knowledge Enterprises (facilitated by Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre), Nyamba Buru Yawuru and North Regional TAFE’s sustainable employment program, and the Society for Kimberley Indigenous Plants and Animals (SKIPA).
Acacia Colei seeds, collected for the Wattleseed Collective, 2022 (photo: Camera Story)
The Collective’s industry partners are Native Foodways and Tucker Bush. As a viable social enterprise, the Collective is receiving support from Lotterywest, Bush Heritage and the Kimberley Foundation.
Over the past three years Environs Kimberley has worked with Aboriginal ranger groups, communities and individuals to establish the Wattleseed Collective, and carry out sustainable harvesting, processing and sale of Kimberley wattleseed by and for the benefit of Aboriginal people. With EK, over 100 Aboriginal collectors from across the west Kimberley harvested wattleseed in the 2022 and 2023 harvest seasons.
As well as harvesting, Collective members have worked together to clean, roast, grind and package seed to create the Wattleseed Collective’s first product — roasted and ground wattleseed — and develop a co-branded product with First Nations social enterprise Native Foodways. Working together and combining seed collected has enabled the Collective to secure ethical commercial markets for future sales of raw and processed wild-harvested Kimberley wattleseed, ensuring the continued success of the new enterprise.
Corey Gretch of Native Foodways holds the first batch of cleaned Wattleseed from the Collective for trialling in a co-branded product (photo: Native Foodways)
Together with Environs Kimberley the Collective has laid the foundations for successful collective governance and business development, creating a business plan, financial model, collective model, logo, branding and best practice harvesting and cleaning guides for the emerging enterprise.
The goal of the Wattleseed Collective is to support healthy people on healthy country by:
- creating a viable, local, sustainable enterprise that supports communities to make a seasonal income while looking after Country
- increasing Aboriginal participation in the native foods industry
- providing opportunity for cultural maintenance of Country and knowledge transfer through the harvesting and processing of wattleseed
- promoting sustainable harvesting industry skills, knowledge, and practices
- improving access to native food that promotes health and wellbeing.
Artist Anita Kitty with the Wattleseed Collective’s first product (photo: Tessa Mossop)
Sid Rankin-Smith (Environs Kimberley) and students from Nyamba Buru Yawuru and North Regional TAFE’s Sustainable Employment program, collecting and cleaning wattleseed (Photo: Azie Dungey).
Best-practice cleaning and harvesting guides produced by Environs Kimberley (Photo: Tessa Mossop).
Roberta Hunter (Nyangumarta Ranger) grinding wattleseed for the Wattleseed Collective’s first product (Photo: Tessa Mossop).
Want to purchase Wattleseed Collective products? Visit the Environs Kimberley shop here.
Wattleseed is aromatic and tasty and can be used as a super-healthy flavouring for a huge range of sweet or savoury dishes and drinks. The protein-rich superfood is high in dietary fibre, antioxidants, iron, potassium, and healthy fats. It has a low glycemic index, lowering the sugar levels of food with which it is combined (making it especially good for people with diabetes).
Profits from this product are returned to Aboriginal Collectors within the Wattleseed Collective and support the establishment of the Collective as a viable social enterprise, creating sustainable and meaningful economic opportunities, and making healthy bush foods accessible in remote communities. The practice of wild harvest is nurturing traditions and empowering people to be on and look after Country.
Wattleseed Collective’s first product - roasted and ground wattleseed – now available on the EK Shop (photo: Jayah Carter).
Want to get involved in this year’s wattleseed harvest or find out more about the Wattleseed Collective?
Contact us at Wattleseed Collective ([email protected]), or call (08) 9192 1922.
Partners
Nyamgumarta Rangers (facilitated by Yamtji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation), Karajarri Rangers (facilitated by Karajarri Traditional Lands Association) Bardi Jawi and Nyul Nyul Rangers (facilitated by the Kimberley Land Council), Yawuru Country Managers (facilitated by Nyamba Buru Yawuru), Yiriman Women Bush Knowledge Enterprises (facilitated by the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre) Nyamba Buru Yawuru and North Regional TAFE’s Sustainable Employment Program, the Society for Kimberley Indigenous Plants and Animals (SKIPA), Native Foodways, Tucker Bush, and Australian Seedbank Partnership.
Funders
This project is possible with support from Lotterywest.
For more information, contact: Wattleseed Collective ([email protected])
Banner image: Nyangumarta rangers collecting Lirringkin by hand near Eighty Mile Beach. Photo: Camera Story
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