Photo: Bidii Baby Foods
Just a few miles north of Shiprock, New Mexico, US, Zachariah and Mary Ben grow produce for their company, Bidii Baby Foods. Their Navajo white corn-based dehydrated baby cereals have fed 6,000 children nationwide, and with a grant from Save the Children, will feed 10,000 more in 2023. The Bens began Bidii Baby Foods, which is now available at Indian Health Service facilities across New Mexico, Utah and Arizona, after their son was born in 2021, and also have launched the non-profit Ben Initiative (Birth, Education and Nutrition). Preparing for the birth of their second child, they have begun work on a greenhouse of herbs with maternal health uses that local herbalists can access. Zach grew up farming corn, beans and squash but always thought of them as cash crops or ceremonial foods, not everyday food. That’s why he wanted to create a dried product that families could use while also helping prevent adverse health outcomes like diabetes later in life.
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