From humble beginnings on a family outstation, Auntie Pat Torres has been surrounded by bush food her entire life.

After government support for Traditional Owners changed some 20 years ago, Ms Torres used her knowledge of native flora to develop Mayi Harvests, a native food business based north of Broome.

"They didn't want people just to do land management programs anymore," she said.

"They wanted people to create a business and start making money.

"So because our lands were full of bush foods and bush fruits, I decided that I would create a business by value adding to Aboriginal native plant foods."

Ms Torres' business has grown to a commercial scale where Mayi Harvests now offers seasonal employment and business opportunities for Indigenous people to harvest bush food off their own lands across the Dampier Peninsula.

Initially based on the harvesting of the kakadu plum or gabiny as it is traditional known, Mayi Harvests now supports the seasonal harvesting a variety of plants, fruits, seeds and nuts from the area.

Mayi Harvests was founded in 2006 to supply wild-harvested Kakadu Plum or "gabiny" and other native fruits and seeds. Image: Mayi Harvests.

Endemic species such as lemongrass, coastal myrtle, boab fruit, native peach and herbs and spices used for the seasoning of meat are harvested annually before being marketed to consumers nationwide under the Mayi Harvests label.

Ms Torres has an extensive family network that includes connections to the Djugun, Yawuru, Karajarri, Ngumbarl, Jabirr Jabirr, Nyul Nyul and Bard peoples both north and south of Broome, family connections that contribute to the success of Mayi Harvests.

"The whole of the Dampier Peninsula picks and they sell to different people," Ms Torres said.

"It's my extended families that are picking for me, so there's my uncles, my aunties, my nieces, my cousins, my grandchildren.

"In the early history there was about three families who were involved in making sure that harvest happened, now there's probably a dozen people that do it."

In addition to providing economic opportunities for Indigenous people, Ms Torres said value adding using native foods provides an opportunity to teach and retain traditional language and culture.

"We come from the mindset where bush foods is part of our cultural heritage," she said.

"It strengthens our language connections and our family connections, and it creates an amazing continuity.

"It helps to keep families strong and healthy because you're collecting food on your own land.

"And you're teaching your children the language words and the stories behind both the food and the country."

An expert in her field, Ms Torres also uses the opportunity bush food provides to educate others through cultural tours and native foods workshops.

Mayi Harvests also offers cultural experiences such as welcome to Country ceremonies, cultural emersion tours and native foods workshops. Image: Mayi Harvests Facebook.

She said it was important for traditional knowledge about bush foods to be handed down to the next generation.

"I teach about the traditional use of plants, how they fit into our system of conservation and relationships and identity and language and history," Ms Torres said.

"It's about teaching other people about our history, our culture, our connection to country but also, it's teaching my family that didn't have the opportunity to learn.

"So I see myself as an Elder, a custodian, and I hand that down to my family to keep our culture strong and maintain our Native Title obligations and connections to country."

Ms Torres is a mentor at the Maganda Makers Business Network, an organisation dedicated to empowering Indigenous women in the Kimberley to build wealth through business.

As part of her mentor role, she shares her extensive knowledge of native foods with other Indigenous businesswomen to support their bush food and native product businesses reach a commercial scale.

"I use my specialised skills and knowledge to teach other ladies throughout the Kimberley how to value add their information and knowledge and plant material into small emerging businesses," she said.

"I specifically work in the bush medicine and bush tucker area, because a lot of people know their bush foods and medicines but they don't know how to take it to a commercial level.

"It's my way as an Indigenous woman, a First Nations woman of ensuring that future cultural knowledge is served and protected."

Ms Torres will be discussing her impact as a mentor at this months Social Enterprise World Forum which is being held at Brisbane's Convention & Exhibition Centre from September 28 to 29.