Food as medicine

ONEIDA NATION – On Aug. 15, the Oneida Nation broke ground on a new state-of-the-art Oneida Community Cannery.

The new facility will serve the Oneida community, with food preparation and preservation, at N 7360 Water Circle Pl., Oneida.

Nation representatives said that the “facility’s programming will focus on comprehensive food as medicine approach that will look to connect and educate community to food-based health care. First opening in 1978 as a small community operation, the Oneida Cannery is currently located on the basement level of the Norbert Hill Center. It has long outgrown its current home.

The new facility will be located adjacent to the Oneida Pantry and Nori Damrow Food Distribution Center and is funded by American Rescue Plan Act funding delegated to food sovereignty infrastructure.

“The new facility will be just under 11,000 square feet that will encompass state of the art food preparation and preservation equipment. Customers will be able bring in their products for canning, drying and processing some of the traditional foods in a safe and healthy manner,” an Oneida Nation release stated.

“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 our community health and prioritizing our foods as preventative and prescription healing.”

The facility is scheduled to be completed by July 2026.