There are less than a dozen hospitals nationwide with on-site farms, but as interest in the connection between nutrition and health continues to grow, so is farm-to-bed cooking, according to an article on the Modern Farmer website.
At the Watertown Regional Medical Center in Wisconsin, sixty crops were grown this year.
“What we believe is that food is medicine — [that] what you eat has as much to do with your overall health,” said Justin Johnson, who left his job as a chef at Milwaukee’s Hotel Metro in 2012 to start the hospital’s farm-to-table concept.
Significant funds were spent on upgrading kitchen equipment and training staff. Thirty-two employees work in the kitchen, which Johnson says is high for a hospital kitchen. The community frequently dines at the restaurant which provides some revenue to cover the additional costs.
The hospital also hosts a culinary school led by Johnson. Classes are held in the market and café. One class each month is free and subsidized by a community grant. Beer and wine also are served in the café and market.
“At four o’clock we have happy hour — right here in the market,” said Johnson. Non-alcoholic beverages are also available, like the house-made iced chai tea.
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