Smart Farm at Advocate Good Shepard

Smart Farm is a non-profit organization that focuses on providing high-quality produce to communities in need and those that are at higher risk of food insecurity. The organization also provides educational resources, focusing on sustainable gardening and healthy eating.

In 2022, Smart Farm moved under Advocate Good Shepard Hospital. The organization needed more farming space, so Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital offered some of the land on their hospital campus. The organization currently operates on a 2-acre site on the hospital grounds but is hoping to expand to a full 30-acre operation in the future.

The produce harvested by Smart Farm is used to provide fresh produce to our local food pantries, to support patients with chronic diseases and as a teaching resource to provide communities with high food insecurity the ability to create healthy, highly nutritious meals.

Smart Farm currently donates about 8 tons (or 16,000lbs) of produce every year, equating to about 14,500+ meals annually. At Advocate Good Shepard Hospital, we focus on helping our local communities have access to resources that allow them to live well. We’re excited to bring healthy, accessible food to our local communities.