Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Area farmers push local, organic food for hospitals

Winona Health Cook Micki Ball prepares a lunch entree in the hospital's kitchen in Winona. Winona Health makes about 1,000 meals a day for patients, residents, employees and guests. (Photo by James A. Bowey/Winona Daily News)

By Britt Johnsen | Winona Daily News

Hospital food doesn’t usually bring to mind good eating.

As in school cafeterias, the food often comes from national distributors and can lack flavor and nutrition.

Some Winona area farmers hope to change that.

They are pushing to get organic and locally-grown food into health care institutions like Rochester’s Mayo Clinic and Winona Health, as well as nursing homes and schools. They see southeast Minnesota following in the footsteps of other institutions in the state and the country doing the same thing.

While officials agree on the idea, actually getting institutions to make the transition is the tough part. Between higher costs, a lack of supply and a current system already in place, not everyone is sold just yet.

“We’ve had some good discussions,” said Sandy Dietz, who raises organic produce at Whitewater Gardens near Elba, Minn. “It’s going to be slow going.”

Local transition

Dietz’s vision is to see organic food in area hospitals, starting with cafeterias.

Contrary to popular belief, about 70 percent of the food served in hospitals goes to visitors and staff, said Jamie Harvie, the Duluth food coordinator for Health Care Without Harm, an international nonprofit advocacy group trying to make the healthcare industry more ecologically-friendly.

Before hospitals start changing their patient menus, it makes sense first to transition their cafeteria offerings, Harvie said.

Recently St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth began offering some organic food in its cafeteria. The hospital offers fair trade bananas and coffee, organic fruit and serves locally-made cookies.

Dietz said several hospitals in southeast Minnesota — including the Mayo Clinic — are interested in including some organic and locally-grown food. Mayo Clinic spokesman John Murphy confirmed that fact but didn’t provide other details.

Dietz said she has had preliminary discussions with Winona Health.

Greg Rommes, who oversees food and nutrition at Winona Health, said the company has no plans to transition to organic food soon, but is always thinking of ways to serve healthier food.

Jim Riddle, organic outreach coordinator for the University of Minnesota, said it makes sense for hospitals to transition, but understands the drawbacks. Supply is often slower than the increasing demand of organic food, he said.

Harvie said another challenge is hospitals and other such institutions already have a working system in place.

But he said health care institutions should be concerned about serving organic, locally-grown food because it is healthier for consumers and benefits local economies. It is a public health issue, he said.

“Why don’t they become models for healthy eating?” Harvie said. “If we know that it’s better to eat more fruit, vegetables and whole grains, why are hospitals not serving them?”

Starting slow

Dietz said even though southeast Minnesota hospitals haven’t yet committed to organic and locally-grown food, she is optimistic that some will begin making the transition within a year or two.

The demand is higher than supply, but she doesn’t see that as a barrier.

“We don’t look at it so much as barriers as a challenge we can work through,” she said. “We have to start slow.”

Caroline van Schaik, program organizer who works with food systems for the Land Stewardship Program in Lewiston, said she wants this to be a mutually beneficial relationship.

“It isn’t just a group of farmers out there who are naively looking at hospitals saying, ‘I think we can get our carrots in there,’” she said.

She also hopes the Winona area can be a leader, even if the transitions are small.

“Any place to start is a good place to start,” she said.

Britt Johnsen can be reached at bjohnsen@winonadailynews.com or (507) 453-3519.