Chicago Hospital Fights Food Insecurity by Distributing Homegrown Produce to Patients

In Chicago's South Side, fresh produce is often hard to come by. Now, one hospital aims to change this by growing and distributing its own farm-harvested vegetables.

Produce grown and harvested on Advocate's 2.5-acre farm in the northwest suburbs is promptly transported to Advocate Trinity Hospital's "Food Farmacy" program for distribution to patients. As reported by ABC 7 Chicago, this innovative program launched on Wednesday, seeking to enhance patients' overall health while mitigating food insecurity.

Chris Cubberly, the Smart Farm manager at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, compared their process to traditional distribution systems. "Food grown in large US agricultural centers travels hundreds of miles and passes through many hands. It sits in coolers and trucks. Our approach is immediate, from the ground to the consumer," he told the outlet.

Some fresh greens distributed at Wednesday’s event had been harvested just the day before at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital's Smart Farm in Barrington.

Dr. Julie Taylor, a family physician at Advocate Trinity Hospital, believes that a healthy diet and regular exercise can mitigate or even reverse negative health outcomes. She directs her patients with health issues such as diabetes or hypertension to the program to access fresh produce.

Fresh fruits and vegetables from the farm will continue to be supplied to the South Side until the end of the growing season.