The Food Mill Expands

With Indoor & Mobile Farmers Market

By Natalie Downey

It has been said before and we’ll say it again, food is medicine, and The Food Mill has conceptualized this idea with their local nonprofit organization’s work to reduce food insecurity and use food to heal.

Food insecurity is a complex issue, and leads to a lack of adequate nutrition for the people it affects.

Many health complications arise from food insecurity, which is why The Food Mill (near Bibb City) has collaborated with other local organizations to address these issues and design a creative and effective solution to them.

Long-term change is the goal of The Food Mill’s work as they seek to address food insecurity on all levels. Their uniquely tailored programs are designed to do just that.

Olivia Amos, the executive director of UGrow Inc., the nonprofit The Food Mill is a branch of, has always wanted to help Columbus by bringing us a program

that acted as a proactive first line of defense against food scarcity issues. “I’ve always had a passion for “Food as Medicine,’ and approaching healthcare from the wellness point of view,” she explains. With a background in pharmaceutical sales, she saw a disconnect between doctors and patients, as patients often don’t know how to practically change their eating habits to improve their health. “I became passionate about being proactive with using food as the first line of defense in our health, instead of being reactive,” says Olivia.

In the local area, there are many people who don’t have access to the food required to help them heal, and might not have the knowledge of how to prepare that food, or the tools needed to prepare it. Olivia had already been working with Mercy Med on a solution to this problem, and decided to start The Food Mill as a nonprofit Food as Medicine outreach program. “I’ve always wanted to help people, especially people who don’t have as many resources,” Olivia explains. “It’s important to me that they’re receiving these opportunities.”

The Food Mill’s programs focus on reducing barriers that lead to food insecurity, and reducing rates of diet-related illnesses, by creating access to fresh food, nutrition education, culinary education, with a focus on accessibility and affordability.

To make fresh, nutritious food more accessible and affordable to the community they serve, The Food Mill is opening a brick and mortar Farmer’s Market. This store inside the Food Mill’s current location on 2nd Avenue will be open to the public, and offers incentives to people dealing with food insecurity by doubling SNAP benefits with the purchase of locally grown produce.

The majority of the fresh produce The Food Mill provides to the local community is grown right here in Columbus and the surrounding areas by local farmers. The Food Mill’s support of local farmers

gives them the ability to keep growing food, and keeps fresh, local items available to the community. “It’s really important that we have a strong, stable local food economy,” Olivia explains.

For those who aren’t able to access the brick and mortar Farmer’s Market, a mobile farmer’s market will be opening around the same time, providing fresh produce and nutritious food on wheels to ensure that food is available to all in the Columbus and surrounding area.

Setting Up The Indoor Farmers Market

The Food Mill’s medically tailored meal program works with Mercy Med to prescribe a meal plan for patients who are suffering from dietary-related health conditions. When a patient at Mercy Med gets a meal-based prescription from the doctor, they can then take it to The Food Mill to be filled.

Understanding that access to fresh food isn’t enough, The Food Mill also offers a cooking program to teach participants how to prepare the produce they receive, and the nutritional benefits of these foods.

The Food Mill is working with two schools, Fox Elementary and Truth Springs Academy, to create programs that teach students how to grow and cook and prepare it, and educates them on the nutritional benefits of certain foods. They will also have after school cooking programs that include the whole family, to help caregivers also learn food preparation skills.

In addition to its outreach programs, The Food Mill operates a cafe on 2nd Avenue, which helps the nonprofit organization fund its programs and supports its overhead expenses. The cafe has nutritious food options available for breakfast, lunch, catering, and prepared family meals. One way the local community can help support the important work The Food Mill is doing is to visit the cafe for breakfast or lunch. Supporting the cafe means supporting the outreach, so the benefits are more than just a nutritious meal.

As The Food Mill continues to make an impact in the community, their hope is to eliminate food insecurity so that everyone has access to fresh, healthy food. “We don’t want to just put on a bandaid on this health disparity, we want to give people steps to become self-sustainable as far as their access to food and the ability to prepare it in a healthy way is concerned.”

To support The Food Mill, stop by for a meal anytime Mon-Fri from 8 am to 3 pm and Saturday from 8 am to 2 pm, or visit thefoodmill.org to get involved or make a donation.