Farm to Hospital Community of Practice

Last spring, 13 hospitals from around the state joined the Farm to Hospital Community of Practice (F2H CoP) with a goal of creating healthier food and beverage environments and promoting local fruits and vegetables. The project was developed to support the momentum from the WI Healthy Hospital Forum and is supported by a grant from the WI Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protections (DATCP).  The one year project wrapped up this March with an in-person meeting/field trip to Reedsburg Area Medical Center to network, share successes and share feedback on future plans.   In just one year of the project, we saw an increase in the number of facilities that are purchasing local fruits and vegetables, maintaining an on-site garden, serving as a CSA drop-off site, promoting their activities to staff, visitors, patients and the community and more. The F2H CoP participants made great progress and are excited about future opportunities.   To further support this work, a Farm to Hospital infographic was developed to talk about the benefits of Wisconsin grown fruits and vegetables.  This infographic can be found online.Plans for a future Community of Practice are in development. Questions can be directed to Michelle Moreau at [email protected].