ONEIDA, WI – The Oneida Nation has broken ground on a new state-of-the-art cannery – a facility that will serve the Oneida community with food preparation and preservation. The facility’s programming will focus on a comprehensive ‘food as medicine’ approach that will look to connect and educate the community on food-based healthcare. First opening in 1978 as a small community operation, the Oneida Cannery is currently located on the basement level of the Norbert Hill Center, but it has long outgrown its current home.
The new facility is funded by American Rescue Plan Act funding that the Nation received and delegated to food sovereignty infrastructure. The cannery will be just under 11,000 sq. ft. and will encompass state-of-the-art food preparation and preservation equipment. Customers will be able bring their food products for canning, drying, and processing in a safe and healthy manner.
The Oneida Cannery currently employs four staff who carry food preservation safety training and licensure. Food sovereignty is a part of the strategic plan to move the Oneida Nation forward, focused on enhancing community health and prioritizing foods as preventative and prescription healing. The project is estimated to be completed by July 2026.
