Most people will agree that what is on our plates is not only nutrition, but is closely tied to our communities and the land. How does this interconnectedness translate to health care? On September 23, the London team of the Nourish Anchor Cohort hosted the Land & Food Fair, an event to explore this idea with employees from across their hospital.
Designed in partnership with Indigenous leaders from Biigajiiskaan Indigenous Pathway of Mental Wellness, the interactive event provided a glimpse of what it could look like to start with food as a way for a more holistic understanding of health and wellbeing.
This event was part of Nourish's Anchor Cohort. Each of the seven Anchor Collaboratives who make up the Nourish Anchor Cohort have received resources for land-based learning in their communities over the next few months.
NOURISH (N): Tell us more about the team behind this event.
AMY FORD (AF): The London team of the Nourish Anchor Cohort includes representatives from St. Joseph's Health Care London and ReForest London. While our day-to-day work is quite different, we came together as a team because we both believe that food in health care can go beyond the traditional criteria of cost and clinical requirements, to take into account sustainability and how to nourish patients in body, mind, and spirit.
N: What did the event involve?
AF: The weather was chilly with some rain, but we were excited to have so many people participate, and everyone was greeted with a hot bowl of homemade Three Sisters soup, as well as a package of cedar for brewing tea. We set up the outdoor fair so that there were several stations, with each learning station offering unique discussions and experiences centred around the connection between food and land. The stations were interactive: at one station about the composting program at the hospital, participants were invited to write their "big ideas for the planet" on a shared board.
We made sure that the fun and learning extended beyond the stations, and provided the following thanks to help from our partners:
A Royal Gala apple from a local farmer
A fruit tree to take home, from ReForest London
An info card about the Food is Our Medicine course that contained wildflower seeds, which participants could plant at home, as a way to encourage them to continue their learning
Sustainable waste management, with composting and paper towel recycling from Kevron
N: What were some of the conversations you had during the event?
AF: Being an event that was open to all hospital staff, participants had a range of professions and experiences, which led to some amazing conversations. Many registered nurses spoke about wanting their patients to spend more time outdoors and connecting with the environment. Seeing the wildflower seeds and trees, some staff gathered in passionate discussions to swap gardening tips. Taking inspiration from the station about composting, dietitians weighed in on our food waste strategies. There was also a commitment from many staff to sign up for the Food is Our Medicine online course to learn more about Indigenous foodways.
N: What can other health care leaders learn from this experience in London?
AF: People from all walks of life are hungry to be part of the discussion surrounding how we can do things better for the planet, and there is no lack of enthusiasm. For us in health care, it can be easy to only work within sustainability with our colleagues, but it's worthwhile and inspiring to reach out to diverse groups and listen to their perspectives.
N: After working in the Anchor Cohort online for the past few months, how was it like to gather in person?
AF: There is something pretty magical about gathering in person. We opened our day with a smudge and blessing from our partner Bill Hill (Ro'nikonkatste), and naturally the experience was quite improved from the usual virtual meeting.