Five years of Pemmican Patty

This November marks five years since the beginning of Pemmican Patty and our commitment to reintroducing traditional Indigenous superfoods. It’s been gratifying to witness our evolution from a dream of “what if” to a thriving brand focused on “what’s next?”

We’re thankful for the growing support that fuels our mission and inspires us to create new products, including an exciting addition coming soon!

In the meantime, we invite you to join us in reflecting on how far we’ve come.

Pemmican Patt Food Company founders Micah, Patt, Mike September 2019

Forging a partnership – September 2019

With help from my nephew Micah (left) and brother Mike (right), we transformed our ideas into a solid plan, setting Pemmican Patty in motion.

First sale of our homemade product – December 2019

We sold our hand-pressed original recipe patties to the Turtle Mountain Heritage Center in Belcourt and learned we needed USDA approval. This is where the real adventure began!

Patt with an unidentified individual at the Turtle Mountain Heritage Center in Belcourt holding the hand-pressed original version of pemmican patties

Patt of Pemmican Patty Food Company smiling while marketing Agency MABU captures promotional content for website

Website launch and branding development – March 2020

While working towards USDA approval, Agency MABU captured professional photos and videos during a demo of our original “pemmican patties.” The team also began building our website for online orders.

First sample bars – October 2022

We partnered with a USDA-certified manufacturer to create our first (non-saleable) bars from our customized recipe. We were excited to share these 100 samples with confidence!

Picture of the very first sample bars that were non-saleable

Micah one of Pemmican Patty's founders crafting the first batch of bars suitable for USDA certified manufacturing

Perfecting the blend – January 2022

Micah crafted our first batches of bars, developing a recipe suitable for USDA-certified manufacturing. After months of work, we finally found the perfect flavor blend.

First branded bar – December 2022

Finally, after 2 years of dedication, we were official! Our patented recipe, complete with ingredient and nutrition info and the USDA stamp of approval, made us market-ready.

Picture of 2,000 Bisonberry Blend Bars with first bar wrapper design

First branded bar order – December 2022

Our first order was a daunting 2,000 blueberry bars! We sent 40 gift packages to tribal members, including our bars, literature, and socks, and sold the remaining order within six months!

First Pride of Dakota event – December 2022

Our products were a hit thanks to their unique ingredients and fantastic flavors. We promoted them as great stocking stuffers and survival kit items.

Display set up at Pemmican Patty's first Pride of Dakota event held in December of 2022

First in-person event for the year – January 2023

We set up at the Bismarck Convention Center and marketed our products at a gun show. We sold enough to cover our booth costs and learned that a gun show might not be the best venue for “jerky.”

Branded packaging – May 2023

We placed our first order of both of our Bisonberry Blend bar flavors—4,000 each! This major investment in branding was a significant step for our small business.

Picture of Bisonberry Blend bars in new packaging!

Pemmican Patty founders Patt and Mike at a storage facility storing 8,000 bars

First order of bars with updated branding! May 2023

We had to rent a storage unit for our first order of 8,000 bars! We’ve refilled it three times since then, totaling over 30,000 bars in just 18 months.

Picture of promotional display box paying homage to Grandma Ida, who stored her pemmican in cotton socks for drying purposes

Gift box with a touch of tradition – August 2023

As in-person events ramped up, we created door prize gift boxes featuring our Bisonberry Blend bars and socks, honoring Grandma Ida, who stored her pemmican in cotton socks as a drying tactic.

First celebrity partnership – June 2023

We received our first celebrity endorsement from Chef Sean Sherman, an award-winning chef and advocate for revitalizing Indigenous food systems.

New product: Hearty Bison Blends Summer Sausage – September 2023

We began developing summer sausage using our original recipes and organ meats for added nutrition, incorporating traditional ingredients like sumac into our products. Still developing. More soon!

Picture of new product that Pemmican Patty started developing: Summer Sausage, still in development

Our international debut – March 2024

Pemmican Patty Food Company took the global stage! I was honored to be featured in an Italian blog article titled “Iconic Women of the Great American West” alongside such impactful women.

Learn more about the feature here.

Pemmican Patty products in Togo, Africa – July 2024

Thanks to the North Dakota National Guard, our Pemmican Patty products made it to friends in Togo, Africa. Together, they enjoyed an order of 400 bags of jerky and 200 BisonBerry Blend Bars to celebrate the 4th of July.

Learn more about why our products were sent to Togo.

Patt with Mark McEvers of the North Dakota National Guard

Patt of Pemmican Patty Food Company at the booth of the National Restaurant Association show May 2024

National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, IL – May 2024

Bringing it a little closer to home, we had the incredible opportunity to attend the 2024 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, IL. It was an honor to showcase our products alongside industry giants, connecting with over 58,000 food service professionals worldwide.

This timeline of photos offers just a glimpse into our journey over the past five years. We’ve accomplished a lot as a company, and we owe it all to the support of our customers. Whether you’ve been with us from the beginning or joined us recently, your involvement has been invaluable.

From small beginnings to international exposure, our goal remains the same: to honor Indigenous food traditions while innovating for the modern world. With your continued support, we can keep pushing boundaries, creating new products, and sharing our heritage with people worldwide.

Thank you for being an invaluable part of our story!

Warm wishes,

Patt and the Pemmican Patty team

Five years of Pemmican Patty

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