'Farm-to-Hospital' Food Movement Hits Valley

Striving for healthier and more locally based food, Valley Hospital is working on its farm-to-fork image.

Signing a Healthy Food in Health Care pledge, Valley will partner with Catalpa Ridge Farm Community Supported Agriculture to "enable us to bring organic, locally grown produce directly to our employees, while supporting local farmers," said Steven Bressler, an official within Valley's Food and Nutrition Department.

"A number of hospitals throughout the country are exploring innovative 'farm to hospital' linkages that bring fresh, healthy food to medical facilities and offer new markets for local farmers," said hospital spokesperson Maureen Kleinman. 

The pledge calls for hospitals to use more locally grown food, work with vendors to obtain products free of pesticides and hormones, purchase more organic foods, educate the community about nutritious and "socially just" foods, minimize or reuse food waste, use ecologically protective food packaging and support humane agriculture systems.

Director of the Food and Nutrition Dawn Cascio said Valley spent a year researching the pledge and CSA before signing it. 

"We wanted to make sure this was the right course to take," Cascio said. 

Jeanine Kopaska Broek, an intern in Valley's Food and Nutrition Services Department, who is working directly on the project, said this is putting Valley ahead of the game with other hospitals in New Jersey.

"Valley is leading the Northern New Jersey region by joining the farm-to-hospital movement," Broek said.

On top of the health benefits, Valley says the program is a new way to help the community. Just recently Valley received a shipment of salad greens, onions and herbs from the Catalpa Ridge Farm, an organic farm in Wantage.

The Sussex County farm avoids chemical sprays and fertilizers—even federally approved ones, according to its website. 

Farm owners Richard and Susan Sisti said, "Each week during the harvest season, Catalpa Ridge Farm harvests fresh, quality locally grown produce for its member shareholders. The harvest season starts in June and continues for 20 to 22 weeks, ending usually the last week of October or the first week of November, depending on how cooperative the weather is."

Kleinman explained that through the hospital's membership with the Catalpa Ridge Farm Community, "Valley will receive freshly harvested produce each week during the growing season... These items will then be used to create employee meals."

Cascio said employees have been praising the choice in food.

"The other day, cooks cooked up some kale we had received from the Catalpa Farms, and it was amazing and delicious," Cascio said. "We have been receiving many positive remarks about the fresh produce."