A longstanding partnership between the Clark County Health Department and Marshfield Clinic Health System has increased access to healthy foods through the placement of hydroponic garden units at all eight Clark County public school districts and one Clark County childcare center. The 2018 Community Health Assessment identified a need for greater access to food, and the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that only 44% of Clark County high school students reported that they had eaten vegetables every day in the previous seven days. The county set a goal to increase access to healthy and nutritious foods for underserved Clark County residents.
 
MCHS community benefits team initially suggested a hydroponic garden to improve access to food, since the gardens can grow large quantities of produce in very little space. Each garden can grow up to 400 pounds of produce per year. Since installation, schools have used the produce in their school lunch program, and the childcare center had enough lettuce from their first harvest—56 gallon-sized bags—to provide each student’s family with one bag of lettuce and make a donation to the food pantry.
 
“Our kitchen staff looks forward to each harvest and uses the lettuce either on the salad bar or as topping to hamburgers or chicken sandwiches,” said one school representative. “The students on the lunch line know very quickly that what they are grabbing comes from the hydroponic unit, as the lettuce is very large and a darker shade of green.”
 
In addition to producing food, the garden units give children the opportunity to better understand where healthy food comes from. Students take ownership in growing their own food and pride in the results. The students’ experience with the gardens provides an opportunity for a healthy connection with food sources that will last a lifetime.