Good nutrition has proven to play an important role in personal health and the recovery of patients. Which is why St. Luke’s University Hospital has created a ‘hospital farm’ on its Anderson campus in Easton, Pennsylvania. The hospital partnered with the Rodale Institute, a groundbreaking leader in organic agriculture research, to bring fresh, local, seasonal produce into the hospital’s food service. The hospital’s farm just celebrated its one year anniversary and will double in size by the end of the year. They will also offer 30 varieties of produce and provide over 45,000 pounds of vegetables to feed patients. They currently offer a weekly farmer’s market in the cafeterias where staff, patients, or visitors can find their wide selection of fresh produce. While this initiative has been very successful, over the past year St. Luke’s has also had to face difficult issues in order to make it all possible. To read more about their journey and the benefits of serving organic produce in hospital cafeterias click on: http://www.treehugger.com/health/innovative-hospital-farm-provides-fresh-nutritious-food-patients.html
