Farm to Hospital

Farm to Hospital programs create partnerships between farmers and local hospitals. The program model links farms and hospitals in order to improve the freshness, quality, and nutritional value of hospital food. In addition, the program facilitates health education and nutrition promotion strategies while opening a new institutional market to small farmers. Hospitals and clinics, with their health focus and prevention messages, are ideal institutions for partnering with local farmers to improve the quality of food. The farm to hospital approach extends beyond local fruits and vegetables to include other sustainable and health-promoting food purchasing options such a focus on organic food, sustainably raised produce and meats, antibiotic free meat, and rBGH-free (recumbent Bovine Growth Hormone) dairy products. Farmers' markets on hospital grounds and community health promotion activities are also integral components of the farm to hospital model. Farm to hospital programs can result in better patient and cafeteria foods, which can better the health and wellbeing of hospital patients. In addition, farm to hospital program help support small local farms.

The goals of Farm to Hospital programs are to create partnerships between local farmers and hospitals in order to bring fresh, healthy food to medical facilities and to create new markets for local farmers.

The Farm to Hospital model has been used in many locations across the country. More and more hospitals are recognizing the need to provide healthy food to their patients. The Center fo Food Justice has implemented pilot farm to hospital programs at multiple hospitals and clinics in Southern California.