Smart Farm at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital provides high-quality produce to communities in need and those that are at higher risk of food insecurity throughout the South Chicagoland area. The organization also provides educational resources, focusing on sustainable gardening and healthy eating.

Smart Farm operates on a 4-acre site on the hospital grounds and is expanding to 16 acres. Additional expansion is planned in future years.

In 2025 we donated approximately 3 tons (or 6,000 lbs.) of produce, equating to over 5,000 meals. At Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, we focus on helping our local community access resources that allow them to live well.

Smart Farm stands

Smart Farm hosts farm stands weekly from June to October. Over 30 varieties of fresh, locally grown produce, herbs, flowers and honey are available. Get farm stand details (PDF).

Smart Farm volunteering & donations

Yes, we need your help at Smart Farm! Here's how to get involved:

• Learn about individual volunteer opportunities.
• Learn about group volunteer opportunities (PDF).
• Make a donation to support our work. Smart Farm’s infrastructure and capital investments are funded entirely through donations.

Connect with Smart Farm

Email us at GSHP-smartfarm@aah.org. Visit us at 450 W. Hwy. 22, Barrington, IL, 60010.

Advocate Good Shepherd Teaching Kitchen

The Advocate Good Shepherd Teaching Kitchen – also called The Shepherd's Kitchen – offers healthy cooking classes led by culinary and health professionals who teach people how to prepare simple, flavorful meals to support overall health and well-being.

The kitchen creates a farm-to-table experience for our patients, providers and the community. It's a hub for integrative health, nutrition, behavior change and culinary skill-building. The fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs used in our classes are grown and harvested at Smart Farm. This allows class participants to cook with seasonal, nutrient-dense produce and connect with the source of their food in a meaningful, hands-on way.

The Advocate Good Shepherd Teaching Kitchen is committed to helping patients improve their health in a modern, flexible environment built for both demonstrations and hands-on learning. Our purpose is to:

• Empower individuals and families to make confident, health-supporting food choices
• Integrate food and nutrition into clinical care
• Support social determinants of health through food literacy and access
• Strengthen the connection among health care, community and sustainable food systems

What we offer at the Advocate Good Shepherd Teaching Kitchen

Patient and community education: This includes classes for chronic disease management and prevention and includes culturally relevant cooking programs to address diverse dietary needs. Interactive sessions are offered for pediatric, geriatric and family nutrition education.

Staff wellness and training: Workshops and wellness initiatives for hospital staff focus on stress management and healthy eating. Continuing education for providers on nutrition counseling and behavior-change techniques is also available.

Clinical integration: Provider-led cooking demonstrations reinforce treatment plans and complement prescriptions for healthy food. Culinary medicine rotations are available for medical residents, dietetic interns and nursing students.

Research and evaluation: Data related to dietary behavior change, biometric improvements and health care use will be gathered, evaluated and shared in peer-reviewed research and national teaching kitchen initiatives.

Connect with the Advocate Good Shepherd Teaching Kitchen

Learn more about our kitchen and our cooking classes.

Email us at GSHP-shepherdskitchen@aah.org or call 847-842-3194. Visit us at 27546 W. State Route 22, Lake Barrington, IL, 60010.