Tribal Elder Food Box Program
Project of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin
Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin (FAEW) coordinated the procurement of foods for the Tribal Elder Food Box Program (TEFBP). On behalf of partnership with the Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition, TEFB was distributed to all 11 federally recognized tribes in Wisconsin, including distribution in Milwaukee County.
Each tribe managed its distribution and was involved in decision making. Priority was given to Indigenous producers in Wisconsin for food procurement. The program aimed to strengthen local and regional food systems, support socially disadvantaged farmers, and establish partnerships for fresh and nutritious food distribution to underserved communities.
PROJECT UPDATE 1
Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin (FAEW), in collaboration with The Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition (GLIFC), successfully coordinated the purchase and distribution of over 7,700 Tribal Elder Food Boxes (TEFB) across 13 Tribes and Tribally run sites in Milwaukee, focusing on culturally relevant foods from socially disadvantaged and emerging producers. Notable achievements include establishing a new partnership with a Red Cliff Tribal producer and incorporating pork from Tribal sources into the distribution. The project also expanded its reach to 22 distinct distribution sites, up from 12, to better serve checkerboarded Tribes. Key insights revealed that the TEFB distribution has fostered community among Elders, while challenges such as increased transportation costs due to inflation were addressed by incorporating these costs into the product pricing through collaboration with the Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative. Upcoming goals include distributing an additional 7,500 boxes and supporting purchases from more socially disadvantaged producers.
PROJECT UPDATE 2
Feeding America of Eastern Wisconsin's Tribal Elder Food Box Program (TEFBP) successfully distributed between 1,900-2,000 boxes each time in seven distributions, sourcing fresh products from local Tribal producers. The program enhanced local food systems by facilitating cooking demonstrations and sharing recipes among recipients. Key accomplishments included purchasing 600 lbs of ground beef from a new Menominee producer and fostering partnerships with local vendors to build community resilience. While the program faced challenges with logistics and increased transportation costs, solutions were implemented to improve packaging and integrate transportation costs into product pricing. Upcoming activities include completing the TEFBP distributions, conducting training for food safety, and exploring a winter distribution based on community interest.
PARTNERS
Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council (WTCAC)
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin (MITW) Department of Agriculture and Food System (DAFS)
Yowela Farma
Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS)
UW healthTIDE Network
Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative (WFHC)
*Blue Harbor
*Dynamite Hill Farms
SUPPLIERS
*KnL Organics
*indicates Indigenous
*Menominee Youth Wildcrafting Project
*Oneida Apple Orchard
*Oneida Nation Farm
*Wild Sanctuary
Chippewa Valley Produce – supports BIPOC farmers, non-native
*Mshke’eode Farm
*Nawapo
*Binesi
*Red Lake Nation Fishery
*Singing Trees Farms
*Skenandore Farms LLC
*Ohe’laku (Oneida heirloom white corn growing and processing cooperative)
Robert Pierce – BIPOC farmer, non-native
*Spirit Lake Native Farms
*Sterling Sports LLC
*Yowela Farm/Convergence Agriculture LLC
*Tsyunhehkwa
*Red Cliff Fish Company
*Bodwéwadmi Ktëgan (Forest County Potawatomi Farm)
*Oneida Cannery
