- May
- 11
- 2017
Are you a locavore?
Take advantage of the rich harvests that local farmers yield. Become a locavore! Someone who prefers to eat food that is grown, raised or produced locally!
Before the sprawling suburbs, strip malls and parking lots took over our area, woods and farmland covered most of the region’s landscape. Long Island has a rich agricultural history, and all you have to do is take a ride out east to enjoy the bountiful renaissance of organic produce farms and vineyards.
In response to the rise in locavores, Northwell Health is collaborating with local resources to bring farmer’s markets and community supported agriculture (CSAs) right to the doorsteps of our employees. These resources support the foundation that healthy food is a cornerstone of healthy living. “We work with Baldor Specialty Foods, who provide us with fresh seasonal vegetables under their ‘local pledge,’ to provide farmer’s markets at many of our sites,” says Michelle Milgrim, Program Manager in Employee Wellness. “We also collaborate with Natural Earth Farms in Calverton, and Sang Lee Farm in Peconic, to provide employee access to CSAs.”
Did you know that the average American meal travels about 1,500 miles to get from farm to plate?
Get local with it. Here are some benefits to consider as you support your local farmers:
Eating local foods that are in season ensures they are at their most fresh.
Fresh food tends to have more nutrients than food that was picked days or weeks ago, says Michael Pollan, author of “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual” (Penguin, 2009).
Transporting large quantities of food over long distances contributes to large fossil fuel consumption and pollution
Many local farms are small-businesses that employ our neighbors and provide local economic stimulus
Currently, most Northwell Health sites participate in community supported agriculture and offer farmer’s markets.
Northwell Health is committed to a three-year Food and Nutrition Transformation, presently underway — making significant changes to ensure that our patients, visitors and employees have access to food that tastes good, is good for you and supports the environment — and working with local food resources is part of this transformation. Each day, employees have access to Northwell Healthy Choice food selections in our cafeterias, which follows healthy nutrition guidelines.
Excellent article; short and sweet yet informative. Good to know that an employer cares enough about employees to offer farm fresh food.
I belonged to a CSA when I worked at St. Vincent’s – LOVED it. Please keep us updated on opportunities here ( hopefully near Westbury Finance!)
Hey Laurie, I’m also a St. Vincent’s alum! Thanks for your comment. How many employees are you in the Westbury office?
I am so happy to see that we are going back to the old way of eating fresh from the farm, eating seasonal, eating from our backyard gardens/ kitchen window herb boxes and eating locally is what is good for our health. So proud to be apart of the Manhasset Cafeteria everything
FRESH from scratch initiative. Hard work, but it will be well worth it for future GOOD HEALTH.
I’m with you, Alicia. Growing your own produce is incredibly gratifying. The effort that our food service professionals are putting into fresh, local and delicious foods is inspiring.