Yowela Farms Brings Indigenous Food Traditions to Hunger Task Force

Mar 13, 2026

Hunger Task Force recently welcomed Dan Cornelius, a member of the Oneida Nation and founder and operator of Yowela Farms, to its McCarty Education Kitchen for a conversation about Indigenous food systems, food sovereignty and traditional foods as medicine.

Yowela Farms takes its name from the Oneida word Yowela’talíh^ meaning gentle wind. The farm focuses on growing Indigenous crops using regenerative farming practices. Located near Stoughton, Wisconsin, Yowela Farms produces and grows Indigenous corn varieties, wild rice, pasture-raised meats, eggs and traditional maple syrups.

During his visit, Dan led a cooking demonstration for Hunger Task Force staff using traditional ingredients. He prepared Three Sisters soup, corn mush and wild rice. Known as the Three Sisters, corn, beans and squash are traditionally grown together because they support one another in the field – corn provides structure for beans to climb, beans enrich the soil with nitrogen and squash protects moisture and soil health.

The visit also highlighted Hunger Task Force’s partnership with Indigenous producers through the Tribal Elder Traditional Food Box Program. Hunger Task Force distributes monthly food boxes with culturally meaningful foods to tribal elders across four community sites in Milwaukee. The program reconnects elders with traditional foods and strengthens access to culturally relevant nutrition.

To support the program, Hunger Task Force purchases directly from Indigenous farmers across the region.

“Dan’s commitment to Indigenous food systems and food sovereignty helps ensure the foods we provide are not only healthy, but also culturally familiar and significant,” shares Kyle Buehner, Hunger Task Force Food Procurement Manager. “Through his work with the Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition and Indigenous producers across Wisconsin, Dan has been instrumental in helping build the partnerships that make this program possible.”

Over the past several months, Hunger Task Force has purchased food from Yowela Farms to include in the Tribal Elder Traditional Food Boxes, including:

  • Blue corn mush flour
  • Red corn mush flour
  • Dried hominy

Through the Tribal Elder Traditional Food Box Program, Hunger Task Force has invested more than $315,000 since June 2024 in Indigenous food producers, strengthening regional food systems while supporting cultural food access for tribal elders.

Hunger Task Force is Milwaukee’s Free & Local food bank and Wisconsin’s anti-hunger leader. The organization’s core values are Dignity, Justice, Equity, Compassion and Stewardship. Hunger Task Force feeds people today by providing healthy and culturally appropriate food to hungry children, families and seniors in the community absolutely free of charge. Hunger Task Force also works to end future hunger by advocating for strong public policies and nutrition programs at the local, state and federal level.