Food Farmacy prescribes the best medicine for people wanting fresh produce
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Hospital food doesn't have a great reputation.
But a healthcare system in Illinois is working to make sure patients have healthy, fresh meals.
They know the produce is fresh because they're growing it themselves. CBS 2's Noel Brennan shows us this twist on farm-to-table.
At a drive-thru, the only thing fast is the customers.
"I busted my hump to get here quick."
Adrienne Afflalo knows farm-to-table is worth a wait.
"Waiting for my time to come up there and get me fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. I hope to pick up something fresh and delicious that I can cook with."
She lives on Chicago's South Side and leaves her neighborhood to find fresh produce. Food packaged inside Bethany Lutheran Church is close to home and her hospital.
"We are kind of like in a food desert." "Quite convenient."
"Today, I'm at the Food Farmacy!"
Dr. Julie Taylor with Advocate Trinity Hospital prescribes fresh food.
"It's a way of me referring patients that need assistance, that have difficulty getting fresh fruits and vegetables that they can get it."
And Advocate Health Care delivers.
"We are looking at green curly kale harvested yesterday."
Chris Cubberly is the Manager of the Smart Farm, a two-acre farm at advocate good shepherd hospital in north suburban Barrington.
"About 60 types of vegetables. About 140 varieties of those vegetables."
Food grown at one hospital serves patients from another.
"Advocate not only produces the food, but we're also the ones that are distributing the food to the needy."
"Regardless of where you live or who you are, you should have as much fresh food variety available to you as possible."
"It's so fresh, it's still dripping with water."
The food at the drive-thru is far from fast and it's exactly what the doctor ordered. The drive-thru Food Farmacy will be open every other week through mid-December.
The goal of the Food Farmacy is to close the health disparity gap for patients on the South Side. Wednesday's delivery of food was enough to serve 200 families.