The Tribal Elder Food Box (TEFB) Program started in 2021 with the goal of increasing access to nutritious, culturally meaningful foods for Tribal members over 55 years old. Since then, the program has distributed over 94,500 Tribal Elder Food Boxes. At the core of the TEFB Program is self-determined community healing, equitable food access, a decentralized food system, and food sovereignty.
The Oneida Nation is one of 11 sovereign tribes in Wisconsin and is located near Green Bay. There are approximately 17,000 Oneida Citizens enrolled in the Tribe. Within the Oneida Nation, there are dedicated Tribal members and partners involved in every part of the program. From Oneida producers contributing their products to the boxes, to packing and transporting the boxes, distribution at the Oneida Emergency Food Pantry, and cooking demonstrations for recipients, the TEFB Program is providing fresh, healthy, culturally significant food to those who need it most.
“The TEFB Program is showcasing food system decentralization,” Vanessa Miller, Food and Agriculture Area Manager for the Oneida Nation, said. “It’s prioritizing local producers. Having a program that truly values food, not as a capitalistic, transactional good, but rather as medicine is really how we want our food system to function on a broader scale.”
The TEFB Program received funding from a number of grant, federal, and state sources to support operations. State funding included an allocation of $1.5 million each year from 2023- 2025 through the State Budget. Notably in 2024, FAEW received a Community Partner grant through the Wisconsin Local Food Purchase Assistance (WI LFPA) Program to assist with procurement funding. The WI LFPA Program also provided food to the TEFB Program through its Direct to Farmer grant track.
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