Food is Medicine on Farms

Equipping healthcare professionals to bridge the gap between regenerative agriculture, nutrition, and human health through immersive on-farm education.

The food we eat begins long before it reaches our plates. It begins in the soil, on farms, and within the ecosystems that support healthy food production.

As interest in Food is Medicine continues to grow, Climate Farm School believes healthcare professionals benefit from experiencing where food begins. Our programs connect medical education with regenerative agriculture through hands-on learning on working farms, helping participants explore the relationships between soil health, nutrient density, farming practices, and patient wellbeing.

Why This Work?

Our Approach

Rather than learning only in classrooms or hospitals, participants spend time on regenerative farms alongside farmers, researchers, chefs, and healthcare practitioners.

Together we explore:

  • regenerative farming practices

  • soil health and ecosystem function

  • nutrition and food quality

  • food systems and community health

  • culinary medicine

  • practical applications of Food is Medicine

These experiences are designed to foster systems thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, and new approaches to improving both human and ecological health.

Current Programs

  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center @ Caney Fork Farm

    An immersive program in Tennessee that brings healthcare professionals onto a regenerative farm to explore the relationship between agriculture, nutrition, and patient health.

  • Recipes 4 Health @ Pie Ranch

    A California partnership connecting healthcare, regenerative agriculture, and community nutrition through experiential education at Pie Ranch.

  • Roots of Health @ Glynwood Center for Regional Food & Farming

    A two-day, place-based CME program designed for pediatricians seeking to deepen their understanding of how regional food systems and regenerative agriculture support human health.

Growing a Community of Practice

Climate Farm School is building partnerships between regenerative farms, healthcare institutions, researchers, and community organizations. Together, we're exploring how experiential education can strengthen connections between food production, public health, and ecological stewardship.

Collaborators & Advisors

  • Linda Shiue, MD

    Director of Culinary Medicine, Kaiser Permanente

  • Kris Madsen, MD, MPH

    Professor of Public Health, UC Berkeley

  • Will Rosenzweig

    Executive Chair, Ideagarden Institute

  • Elaine Patarini

    Director, Paicines Ranch Learning Center

  • Adrian James

    Co-Founder, Omada Health

  • Cheyenne Pritchard

    Executive Director, Ideagarden Institute, MPH