Healing from Within

EMMA BEAUCHAMP, Communications Manager

Located on the sprawling lawn of St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, the Farm at St. Joe’s features 3 full-sized hoophouses brimming with 53 different fruits and vegetables. Last year, 9,316 pounds of harvested produce were distributed among patients, the hospital cafeteria, to area food banks, as well as sold at the in-hospital farmers market and to the farm share members. The Farm is a hub that connects the health system to the community and is truly an embodiment of the health system's commitment to improving community health and wellbeing.

Started in 2010, the Farm's mission is to "grow a healthy community by empowering people through food, education and relationships.” Farm manager, Amanda Sweetman, likes to say that "we join people on their path to better health."

Since 2015, the Farm has provided an innovative farm share program, originally to supply fresh vegetables to the medical residents on a weekly basis. Four years later, over 18 farms participate in a 38 week long farm share program to fill the demand of both hospital staff and the

public. In 2018, 38 families experiencing food insecurity were provided free produce through this program.

The Farm at St. Joe’s offers a space for growth for everyone. During the summer, it hosts a full-day camp where students learn about the relationship between healthy food and healthy bodies. The on-site teaching kitchen allows for a casual learning space regarding better eating for all ages. For many patients of the hospital, the Farm is also used as part of the therapy process, with an entire hoophouse dedicated to being clinically accessible and as a place to heal.

Sweetman says, “The Farm is not just a space for health education, but a way for the hospital to live out its mission as a transformative, healing presence in the community.”

Interested in a seasonal farm share with the Farm at St. Joes? Learn more at stjoefarm.wordpress.com. Or shop at their weekly farmers market in the hospital’s main lobby every Wednesday from 11am-1pm.

THE FARM AT ST. JOE'S

734-712-HOOP (4667) stjoefarm.wordpress.com