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Clinic Now Prescribing Veggies for Health
7 Apr
Summary
- Highland Health Home provides patients with free vegetables from Summer Street Farm.
- The pilot program, funded by a local philanthropist, aims to combat food insecurity.
- This initiative reduces stigma and promotes healthy eating habits among young families.
A health clinic in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, is pioneering a novel approach to healthcare by prescribing vegetables. The Highland Health Home and Learning Centre, in partnership with Summer Street Farm, is distributing fresh greens like spinach, kale, and bok choy to patients. This pilot program, funded by local philanthropist Jamie MacGillivray, aims to combat food insecurity and promote preventative health.
Social worker Brittany Currie initiated the program, concerned about rising food prices. Summer Street Farm, which employs individuals with diverse abilities, provides 20 bags of greens weekly. The health center prioritizes families with children under 24, a demographic heavily affected by food insecurity in Nova Scotia. Patients also receive dietitian-approved recipes.
Haley Kirby, the primary health-care co-ordinator, is tracking data to support the program's continuation beyond its initial 12-week run, which concluded at the end of April. So far, approximately 170 individuals, or 40 families, have benefited. The program's success is also evident in the pride and joy experienced by the farmers at Summer Street Farm, who feel a profound sense of purpose in directly feeding their community.
