Farm to Hospital—A movement that is long overdue

By Christine White

For decades, hospital food has lacked variety, nutrients, and edibility. In recent years large cafeteria vendors and fast and processed foods have dominated hospital cafeterias, limiting patients and employees to very few, nutrient-enriched meal options. However, six years ago a healthy hospital makeover started, and it’s catching on fast.

In May 2003, Dr. Preston Maring of Kaiser Permanante (KP) developed the nation’s first hospital farmer’s market. Inspired by local arts and crafts vendors in the lobby of his Oakland, CA hospital, Maring worked to bring healthy, local food to patients and employees. With a contract from the Pacific Coast Farmer’s Market Association (PCFMA), KP’s first hospital farmer’s market was a huge success. In the following two years, 25 more hospital farmers markets were established through out five states.

Nationwide, hospitals have been attracted to this innovative farm-to-hospital concept, and the reasons are self-evident. A person’s daily diet is the most essential determinant of their health, and hospital farmer’s markets recognize this correlation. Markets give patients the opportunity to improve their diets. They allow patients to walk outside, engage in the community, and choose from an array of brightly colored fruits and vegetables. Markets also provide a local place for employees and locals to buy fresh produce. They stimulate the local economy, foster healthy eating habits, and encourage the connection between food and health.

Today, hospital markets have spread to places like Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco, California, and The Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Other markets are flourishing in Washington, Oregon, Georgia, and Hawaii. The benefits are incredible for patients, employees, and the local community. Check out these links for more information:

Kaiser Farmer's Markets at http://www.pps.org/markets/info/market_profiles/food_insecurity/kaiser
KP Farmer's Market Locator
http://members.kaiserpermanente.org/redirects/farmersmarkets/?rop=MRN
"Farmers Markets Bloom at Hospitals" (CNNhealth)
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/03/farmers.markets.hospitals/