Smart Farm is a nonprofit 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 Shepherd Hospital. The organization needed more farming space, so Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital offered some of the land on our 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.

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.

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.