By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

OSF Saint James – John W. Albrecht Medical Center has been one of the sponsors of the Grow and Give Garden at Spence Farm in Fairbury, which just reported a bountiful year.

Community Relations Coordinator Pam Meiner said this program helps the hospital reach deeper to potentially prevent health problems through healthy eating and not just focus on treating health issues after the fact.

“We’re looking for ways to influence healthier communities through education, through gardens and providing people with fresh produce and what to do with it, to hopefully prevent disease as much as it’s preventable and help people stay healthier longer in their lives. So, partnering with the Spence Farm Foundation for their Grow and Give Garden in Fairbury was a great collaboration. They’ve had another successful year this year. They’ve not only raised over 1,000 pounds of fresh produce and honey for area food pantries over there, but also provided considerable education in the garden with young people from a variety of organizations in the Fairbury area,” Meiner said.

The hospital was also inspired from the Grow and Give Garden to start their own. The Growing Well Garden produced more than 500 pounds of fresh produce this summer, benefiting three food pantries in Pontiac.