Harvesting health and hope through farmer-health care cooperation

[MediumLa Cosecha — “the harvest” in Spanish — was born out of the desire of farmers to keep the produce they grew within their community, serving their neighbors and the families who lacked access to local organic fruits and vegetables.

La Cosecha is a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program started by the Agri-Cultura Cooperative Network, a farmers cooperative based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Like other CSA programs, La Cosecha offers its members the opportunity to invest in local farms and receive a share of the harvest — weekly boxes of organic produce — in return.

What sets this program apart is its strong partnership with Presbyterian Healthcare Services, a nonprofit health care system with eight hospitals and 13 primary care clinics, which has served New Mexico since 1908. This collaboration makes a clear connection between health care and healthy food by bringing fresh produce to some of the most underserved communities in the South Valley and the International District. (Continue Reading)