A Santa Barbara doctor who prescribes vegetables instead of pharmaceuticals for his type-two diabetes patients sounds too good to be true, but Dr. Kerr at Sansum Diabetes Research Institute has proven the method to be more than effective. Thanks to his dedication to nutrition and a partnership with Unity Shoppe and Fairview Gardens, dozens of local patients have found an affordable, safe way to treat their condition.
Farming for Life is just one example of the way the Santa Barbara County Food Action Plan hopes to impact our communities. With the belief that healthy food is essential for our wellness, community, economy, and environment, the Food Action Plan is working to build a more resilient, sustainable and nutrition-oriented food system through collaboration and community investment.
If you’d like to learn more about the Santa Barbara County Food Action Plan or get involved, please contact us.
Learn more about what our partner organizations are doing to create a vibrant and healthy food system:
- Fairview Gardens https://www.fairviewgardens.org/
- The Unity Shoppe http://www.unityshoppe.org/
- The Sansum Diabetes Research Institute https://www.sansum.org/programs
See how other communities are using food as medicine:
- “Invoking the mantra that food is medicine, hospitals across the country are taking measures to prevent and treat illness through diet.” Wall Street Journal.
- “A new program in Bend is allowing health care providers to prescribe fruits and vegetables to people with poor access to fresh foods or who are in need of a healthier diet.” Bend Bulletin.
- “The so-called food pharmacy brings together the resources of a food pantry with the acumen of clinical nutritionists and the flair of a farmers market, mostly to tackle high blood pressure and diabetes. Patients who receive a referral can stop by for donated groceries, recipe demonstrations, and cooking tips.” Mother Jones.
