BNMC Farm to Hospital
BNMC is working with Western New York healthcare institutions to increase local food procurement and expand consumer knowledge on the benefits of supporting the local food system.
Overview
BNMC’s Farm to Hospital Initiative started in 2015 when our team applied for and received a USDA Local Food Promotion Program Planning Grant and established a partnership with member institutions Roswell Park and Kaleida Health. Upon learning the challenges of implementing and sustaining local food procurement efforts, BNMC applied for and received a second USDA grant in 2018 to continue to advance the project. As a direct result of this initiative, local food procurement at Campus hospitals has increased by 333%. You can read a copy of the full implementation report here. Watch a video on the project here.
Funding for BNMC Farm to Hospital was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant agreement number AM180100XXXXG117. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.
Local Food Procurement
This collaborative work has created a culture which embraces local farms through prioritizing local procurement; established and expanded CSA and farmers market programs; established food chain transparency through tracking software; and increased awareness and knowledge among consumers of local food procurement efforts through successful Farm to Hospital Marketing Campaigns. We have presented nationally to share our work at the USDA Marketing Summit and Farm to Institution New England.
Healthy Food in Healthcare Work Council
Sustainability requires ongoing partnership which BNMC provides through the Healthy Food in Healthcare Work Council. The Council is comprised of 50+ agribusiness and hospital stakeholders (farmers, distributor, food service teams as well as c-suite hospital executives) and provides educational and networking opportunities.
Healthy Foods Steering Committee
BNMC also leads a committee comprised of 15+ top executives and leaders from Oishei Children’s Hospital, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Kaleida Health and Roswell Park Cancer Care Center, African Heritage Food Cooperative and Urban Fruits & Veggies/Go Green dedicated to nourishing our campus and our neighbors through healthy food innovations.
The Steering Committee’s mission is “To bring innovation through the power of healthy food to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and surrounding communities through mutually beneficial enterprises; promoting access to high quality nutrition; reducing food disparities, and inspiring future generations to improve community health and well-being”