These Game-Changing U.S. Hospitals Grow Their Own Produce for Hospital Meals and More

August 13, 2021

Fresh, healthy food is often an afterthought in the American health care system, but some forward-thinking U.S. hospitals are changing the game with on-site farms that supply produce for patient meals and more.

Here are some inspiring early adopters.

Stony Brook, NY; Stony Brook University Medical Center: Stony Brook Heights Rooftop Farm is located on the third floor roof of the Health Sciences Center.

Rooftop Farm at Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook, N.Y.

A grant from the New York Department of Health helped Stony Brook University Hospital become one of thefirst hospitals with an on-site farmback in 2011. Today the lush-yet-streamlined rooftop garden grows turnips, peppers,strawberries, squash, and other veggies to supplement the 2,000 patient meals the hospital serves daily. Excess produce is donated to people in need in the community. Twice a year, Stony Brook invites local children to the garden to pick their own vegetables and learn about the benefits of healthy eating.

St. Luke’s Rodale Institute Organic Farm, Easton, Penn.

When St. Luke’s University Health Network decided to develop an organic farm on the acreagesurrounding its Anderson Campus, they partnered with the nearbyRodale Institute, anonprofit that has been at the leading edge of organic agricultural research since the 1940s. Launched in 2014, the11.5-acre farm yieldsmore than 60,000 pounds of produce each year, which is served at all 10 hospitals in the St. Luke’s University Health Network.

Deaver Wellness Farm at Lankenau Medical Center, Wynnewood, Penn.

Joining forces with the nonprofit Greener Partners, Lankenau Medical Center, launched itsDeaver Wellness Farmon Earth Day 2016. Featuring a greenhouse, 36 gardens, and a composting space, the farm serves as a hands-on classroom for more than 10,000 children annually, with 90-minute classes on topics such as nutrition,composting, and food justice.

Sky Farm Educational Center At Eskenazi Health, Indianapolis

Open since 2013, the aptly named Sky Farm overlooks downtown Indianapolis from atopEskenazi Health’soutpatient care center. The 5,000-square- foot urban farm is meticulouslymanaged with the help of volunteers and is open to the public. The farm produces crops year-round, includinglettuce, onions, andbroccoli, which are harvested and used in freenutrition classes. Sky Farm also grows flowers to make into bouquets for patients.

Boston Medical Center Rooftop Farm, Boston

Boston Medical Center launched itsrooftop farmin 2017 as part of its Nourishing Our Community initiative. The farm’s efficient modular design allows it to yield as much as 3 tons of produce annually—enough food to serve 1,800 meals daily—on less than 3,000 cubic feet of growing space. Veggies and herbs make their way to the cafeteria, inpatient meals, and the Preventive Food Pantry, which offers free produce to low-income patients who present “prescriptions” from their doctors. Produce also stocks an on-site teaching kitchen, which offers patients and local residents free classes in healthy cooking and eating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx75W9yvX1g

Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital Greenhouse,West Bloomfield Township, Mich.

All the meals served atHenry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, are made from scratch using fruits, vegetables, and fresh herbs grown in the hospital’s 1,500-square-foot greenhouse. Adjacent to the greenhouse is an educational center, which is home to cooking classes, a seasonal farmers market, and educational programming for children, which highlights the importance of healthy eating when it comes to preventing many chronic diseases.

Ready to get started? Check outForks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path. To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit ourPlant-Based Primer.