Local farm vegetables supplied directly to college, hospital, and seniors’ homes 1 June, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MR15-033 Comox Valley, B.C.   Last Friday, as Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee, joined California in declaring a statewide drought emergency, St Joseph’s General Hospital in Comox, B.C. joined a pilot program to source vegetables locally. “For the...Read More

Halifax hospitals will soon replace their flower beds with vegetable gardens. The edible plants will be brought to replace the flowers, shrubs and even the lawn outside ten different medical centres. Health authority staff say they’re rethinking the way they use their outdoor space. The plan is to plant everything from beets to tomatoes right...Read More

Therapeutic gardens boost mental and physical health Tucked away on the campus of B.C. Children’s Hospital is an oasis of sorts. It’s a therapeutic food garden frequented by young inpatients and outpatients in programs run by B.C. Mental Health and Substance Use Services. Julia Thiessen, executive director of the Environmental Youth Alliance, gave the Georgia...Read More

When most of us think of “hospital food,” we think meatloaf and Jell-O — basically bland, tasteless, and not particularly healthy. Traditionally, the hospital was someplace where you had to eat, not a place where you would choose to eat. And the cafeteria was mainly a place for time-challenged staff and distracted guests to eat...Read More

Photo: Halton Healthcare Service (HHS) was recently honoured by the Ontario GreenBelt Fund for its locally-grown foods project. From left, Anita Stewart, author and culinary activist, University of Guelph; Elma Hrapovich, director of clinical nutrition and food services, HHS; Marianne Katusin, HHS manager of operational readiness, food services; and Burkhard Mausberg, CEO of the Ontario Greenbelt...Read More

Photo: The 200 residents of Purdy Pavilion could soon be eating fruits and vegetables picked fresh from their UBC campus backyard. A partnership between VCH, UBC Farm and food provider Sodexo is looking at getting the local produce grown at UBC Farm onto the plates of those living at Purdy. “We don’t have a lot...Read More

Photo: Photo by Roland Lizarondo When you think of hospitals, tasty food doesn’t usually come to mind — whether it’s dining choices in the cafeteria or for patients — but hospitals throughout San Diego County are trying to change that reputation. Take San Diego’s Sharp Memorial Hospital, where chefs and cooks are working to dish out...Read More

Food activist Joshna Maharaj says delicious Ontario-grown food is waiting for you—all you have to do is ask. Joshna Maharaj has a message for anyone who’s suffered the disappointment of hospital food. “Be angrier on that feedback form! Tell them exactly how you feel.” Problem is, she says, you get that feedback card after your...Read More

Purchasing from local farms and other producers is good for the economy and good for patients. Food-service managers and chefs from seven medical facilities along the 11-mile stretch between the downtown areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul, called the Central Corridor, met recently to eat community garden carrots and local handmade tamales. They gathered, along...Read More

For decades, U.S. food and farm policy has been poorly aligned with public health objectives. But new opportunities,including an innovative federal program that provides incentives for low-income consumers to increase their purchases of fruits and vegetables, can now begin to address the problem. Click here to see the full article. Authors: UCSUSA & Johns Hopkins Center for...Read More