Success story: Bringing students to the farm, and farm fresh produce to students

Rogue Valley Farm to School is growing a culture of health in Southern Oregon

Rogue Valley Farm to School (RVF2S), a community-based nonprofit organization located in Ashland, Oregon, is boldly working to change local food systems and redefine what healthy learning environments and flourishing communities look like. They partner with schools and farmers across Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley region to incorporate nutritious foods into school meals and bring hands-on garden education to students. 

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Success Story: Advancing Equity Through Urban Fruit

Portland Fruit Tree Project strengthens communities through shared harvests and healthful food access

Take a stroll around Portland, Oregon in the summer and fall, and you are likely to notice the occasional fruit tree. Either planted in a neighbor’s yard, or lining a street, the branches of these trees are often bursting with fruit. But, unpicked, the fruit will eventually fall to the ground–the natural abundance slowly rotting away in yards or on sidewalks (much to the delight of local insects and squirrels).

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Success story: A place where affordable housing and nutrition meet

Northwest Housing Alternatives is working to include a community kitchen in new rural housing development

The rural community of Ontario, Oregon sits on the Idaho border about an hour from Boise. If you’ve visited there, you’ve probably been met by the delicious smell of french fries. That’s because the town is home to Ore-Ida, best known for its tater tots, french fries and other potato-based products. Beyond the potatoes,

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The epidemic within the pandemic: underlying health conditions

Developmental origins unravel the root causes

While COVID-19 has reached pandemic proportions, it is not the only pandemic we are facing. 

In the U.S., the severity of COVID-19 is associated with preexisting, chronic conditions. In addition to age, the CDC lists cancer, kidney disease, lung disease, weakened immune system, obesity, serious heart conditions and type 2 diabetes among the most common underlying conditions that portend a severe infection.

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New dietary guidelines include pregnancy, breastfeeding and early childhood recommendations for first time

Guidelines recognize the role of nutrition during pregnancy in influencing lifelong health outcomes for mother and baby

For the first time ever, the newly released 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans focus on a lifespan approach to nutrition, with specific sections dedicated to nutrition during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and infancy and early childhood.  

The OHSU Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness provided testimony on the science of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) to the scientific committee compiling the recommendations for the updated guidelines.

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Veggie Rx: using food as medicine

It’s not just about more food; it’s about the right kind of food

Veggie Rx is just what it sounds like: a doctor-ordered vegetable and fruit prescription. Why would a doctor prescribe fresh produce? Because fresh food can be used like medicine to manage and prevent diseases caused by eating an unhealthy diet. Diseases like heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

The reality is that even though our nation produces an ample supply of high-quality produce and whole foods,

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