RiverBend Youth Farm Stand Set to Open May 30

For the ninth straight year, PeaceHealth is partnering with FOOD for Lane County to bring fresh, organic produce to patients, visitors, caregivers and neighbors at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend.

Opening day for the FOOD for Lane County Youth Farm Stand will be Thursday, May 30—and customers will enjoy free samples and prize drawings to help kick things off.

Nestled in the Fir Grove to the south of the Emergency Department the stand will be open each Thursday through Oct. 31 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. RiverBend is located at 3333 RiverBend Dr. in Springfield.

On opening day, customers will find a bounty of late-spring produce, including strawberries, basil, beets, carrots, collards, garlic, lettuce, kale, salad mix, spinach, Swiss chard and much more.

Last year the farm stand sold more than 15,470 pounds of food, with sales totaling more than $22,147—an 8 percent increase over last year.

The innovative Youth Farm program combines hunger relief with youth services and education. The three-acre farm, located in Springfield’s Gateway neighborhood at 750 Flamingo Dr., provides paying work, volunteer opportunities, job training and education to teens. 

The youth farmers help grow and sell more than 35 kinds of organic vegetables, more than half of which are donated to the local food bank. The rest is sold at the farm on Saturdays during the growing season, and through a Community Supported Agriculture program—with pickup available at RiverBend.

The stand accepts cash, checks, SNAP (food stamps) or Women, Infant and Children’s (WIC) program coupons. 

“This farm stand has been an outstanding partnership,” said Cecelia Jacobson, a registered dietitian with RiverBend’s Oregon Heart & Vascular Institute. “We see a lot of loyal customers and hear consistently great feedback about the location, the produce, and the experience of simply walking outside to purchase some fresh produce.”

She added, “We really want to emphasize the public message of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption as a means of disease prevention and health enhancement. Through this collaboration, we increase access to healthy food and help make healthy choices the easy choices.” 

PeaceHealth Sacred Heart is part of a growing movement around the country to bring farm-fresh, locally grown fare to hospitals as a way to further goals to promote community health and wellness.