Doctors want their patients to benefit from new farm at St. Joe's Oakland

Saint Joseph Mercy Health System had its grand opening for the second farm location at St. Joe’s Oakland in Pontiac. earlier this year. After tearing down the north tower on the hospital campus, and checking the land for toxins, the hospital saw an opportunity to expand the farm program to Oakland County.

Serendipitously located where the physicians park, a seed is planted in their mind every day that food is medicine as they walk by the farm on the way into the hospital. Katelyn Smoger, Oakland Farm program manager, says a morning doesn’t go by she doesn’t have physicians stopping to talk about how they can get this food to their patients. "The food people consume can have a tremendous impact on their overall health and well-being and can help avoid many of the chronic illnesses we see in our offices and here at the hospital,” said Fabian Fregoli, chief medical officer of St. Joseph Mercy Oakland. “The farm is a wonderful addition to our hospital campus, one that will give us the ability to connect with patients in an impactful way and give them the tools and support needed to live longer, healthier lives."

In 2020, The Farm at St. Joe’s in Ann Arbor donated more than 6,300 pounds of produce to 3,600 health care providers and 1,300 patients from their Produce to Patients program that provides fresh produce from them and local farms. In addition, the Ann Arbor farm distributed 11,500 boxes of Michigan produce to members of the community, including donations to 83 food-insecure families as a part of the farm’s Collaborative Farm Share Program.

In addition to encouraging healthier eating, the program also serves as an economic driver for local agriculture, having generated more than $150,000 for Ann Arbor-area farms in 2020. The Farm’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been simple: 1. Decrease food insecurity in the community by providing fresh produce and 2. Provide a space where providers can come for respite in an outdoor farm oasis. But that’s not why the farm was created.

Eleven years ago, the not-for-profit health care organization was looking for a way to think outside the box to improve health and wellness in the community. Rob Casalou, then president and CEO of Saint Joseph Mercy Health System in Ann Arbor, wanted to change the nutrition in the hospital when all he could find in the cafeteria to eat was a cheeseburger in a greasy wrapper and onion rings. Partnering with Lisa McDowell, then clinical nutritionist, they came up with the idea for the Farm at St. Joe’s. “I come back 11 years later, and I cannot believe what people have done,” said Casalou, “The only credit I take is providing the resources to get it started, but everything else you see here is because of the great, talented and committed people you see.” Access to good food is a basic human need and Casalou said the need is greater than what they can supply and that’s why the program is expanding.

Amanda Sweetman, regional director of farming and healthy lifestyles at Trinity Health, said the farm didn’t just expand because the Ann Arbor farm has been so successful, but also because the leadership is committed to it. The hospital went to the community to ask them what they wanted and needed. “And one of the big things that came back was safe, accessible outdoor space, and knowledge on how to eat healthier and access, right?” says Sweetman, “We're in a food … If you've ever heard the term 'food swamp' as opposed to a 'food desert.' There's plenty of food here. There's McDonald's on the corner. There isn't a grocery store anywhere nearby though.”

The Farm at St. Joe’s is changing what a hospital can do to improve community health and well-being and isn’t afraid to dig down and find that good nutrition is a good place to start when it comes to building a healthy future for the community and for the hospital system. “Our mission today is to grow a healthy community by empowering people through food, education and relationships,” Sweetman said.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: St. Joseph Mercy Health System adds farm to Pontiac hospital