Food as Medicine: How One Hospital Is Using Organic Produce to Help Heal Patients

Recently, Rodale Institute, in partnership with the nearby St. Luke’s University Health Network, launched a true farm-to-hospital food program. The Anderson Campus at St. Luke’s has more than 300 acres of farmland, much of which had historically been farmed conventionally to raise crops like corn and soy. The hospital administration recognized the impact that providing fresh, local organic produce could have on patient health and approached Rodale Institute to transition the land to organic and farm vegetables to be used in patient meals and in the cafeteria.