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<\/p>\nHave you been to the latest locavore hotspot in Saranac Lake? Farmstead cheeses from North Country Creamery and organic veggies from Juniper Hill Farm are featured regularly. \u00a0House-made bread is used for sandwiches, with turkey that is roasted onsite. The food is so good and prices so reasonable that business has doubled in the last two years.<\/p>\n
But you can still get a table without a reservation – and you don\u2019t even need to be a hospital patient or visitor. Adirondack Health is happy to have folks from the community drop in for a meal.<\/p>\n
This focus on local food is a result of the innovative thinking that Carl Bowen brought to his role when he was hired as Director of Food and Nutritional Services at Adirondack Health in 2014.<\/p>\n
A Plattsburgh native, with past positions at Mountain Lakes Academy and Northwood School in Lake Placid, Bowen arrived at Adirondack Health ready to make a difference in patients\u2019 lives.
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Turkey roasted in house is one of the new healthy food options offered by\u00a0Adirondack Health.\u00a0<\/em> \u201cOur number one job is patient care,\u201d said Bowen, who says this priority drives every decision made about food. Nutrition is critically important to patients, who are now able to more easily select food that accommodates their restrictions. Adirondack Health\u2019s commitment to local food extends to new moms, who are offered a celebratory steak from Kilcoyne Farms of Brasher Falls.<\/p>\n Streamlined processes and new computer systems have helped staff provide individualized care to patients and handle the increased demand from staff and visitors. A recent kitchen renovation that updated circa 1967 kitchen equipment will pay for itself within a few years. \u201cEven with these changes, we made sure that the food is still affordable for local families while they are visiting,\u201d said Bowen.<\/p>\n According to Bowen, staff now regularly eat meals in the cafeteria and can pay through an automatic payroll deduction, which saves on credit card fees. Bowen credits Adirondack Health\u2019s administration for taking a chance on the changes he has made. \u201cThey were supportive from the start, and even visited the kitchen to thank the staff for making such a difference.\u201d Fresh, healthy vending machine options in the Adirondack Health cafeteria.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Josh Bakelaar, ANCA\u2019s Director of Agriculture, said this type of institutional support is critical to the success of any local food initiative, and is certain that Adirondack Health\u2019s nutrition and food program can be replicated throughout the North Country. \u201cThey have developed a great model that we\u2019d love to see in other places,\u201d said Bakelaar of the program. \u201cIncreasing the amount of fresh local food served by institutions is critical for the health of our communities and viability of small farms.\u201d<\/p>\n But when the kitchen is closed, don\u2019t look for Oreos or cheese crackers in the staff vending machines. Bowen\u2019s \u201cnon-traditional\u201d approach ensures that healthy food – like roasted red pepper soup or chicken salad – \u00a0is available 24\/7.<\/p>\n This local food, healthy food model for cafeterias is a win-win for consumers and regional food producers. We look forward to seeing more examples like this in institutions throughout the North Country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Have you been to the latest locavore hotspot in Saranac Lake? Farmstead cheeses from North Country Creamery and organic veggies from Juniper Hill Farm are featured regularly. \u00a0House-made bread is used for sandwiches, with turkey that is roasted onsite. The food is so good and prices so reasonable that business has doubled in the last […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-north-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n\u201cWhen you\u2019re sick and can only eat a few things, or you\u2019re spending hours here, having healthy food that you enjoy eating makes a huge difference in your day,\u201d said Bowen. He began slowly – systemic change takes time – but is proud to say that nearly 45% of the food served at Adirondack Health to patients, visitors and staff, is either locally sourced or made in-house.<\/p>\n
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