Explore our events & programs:
Culinary Medicine provides helpful guidance and support to everyone -- from patients to staff, students and the wider community. We curate events and programs to fit the needs of our partners, and we maintain free public spaces for you to engage with nature at two University of Vermont Medical Center locations.
Located at our Fanny Allen campus, the Learning Garden is an open space for discovery, respite and reflection. Enjoy our peony collection, cutting garden flower beds and pantry garden. View the apiary and admire the bounty of vegetables that our Learning Garden Program participants are growing in their raised beds. The garden is located behind the urgent care building and is open 24/7.
If you are interested in hosting an event for your department at the Fanny Allen Campus Learning Garden, please send an email to Rachel.Boyers [at] uvmhealth.org (Rachel Boyers).
The Rooftop Garden is located steps away from the Garden Atrium Cafe at UVM Medical Center. This therapeutic space is available 24/7 for patients, caregivers, employees and the public to connect with nature, find a moment of outdoor contemplation and enjoy a quiet place to eat lunch. Immerse your senses in the colorful produce we grow for donation, the sounds of birds and the fragrance of herbs and flowers.
If you are interested in hosting an event for your department at the UVM Medical Center Rooftop Garden, please send an email to Rachel.Boyers [at] uvmhealth.org (Rachel Boyers).
Details coming soon!
Get outside and join our Garden Educator, Chef Educator and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in the garden to tend your very own raised bed. This 20-week educational program runs every year from May to September.
Applications open in February.
Rachel.Boyers [at] uvmhealth.org (Contact Rachel Boyers for more information)
This pilot program aims to explain our “gut feelings” and build awareness, skills, resources, and support for those feeling anxious or depressed. It is led by a wellness team including a psychiatrist, registered dietitian, garden educator, and chef educator.
Sponsored by UVM Medical Center Nutrition Services, Farm Shares for Health (FS4H) is our flagship “produce prescription” program. During the growing season, FS4H partners with local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs to provide fresh, local produce via farm shares to individuals who identify as food insecure. As part of our affiliation with UVM Osher Center for Integrative Health, FS4H includes research opportunities to better understand how increasing access to vegetables and fruit, knowledge of food, food preparation and nutrition, can help improve the health of people and our communities.
Skills Before Pills is for patients experiencing health challenges in any one of the areas of Lifestyle Medicine (nutrition, physical movement, stress, sleep, social connection). During this four-month group session, you will develop an individualized plan for health behavior change with the support of our comprehensive clinical team -- a family medicine doctor, registered dietitian nutritionist, health coach and chef educator. To join this program, please ask your primary care physician.
This monthly culinary class is for individuals experiencing chronic pain currently enrolled in the Comprehensive Pain Program. In this program, you will learn hands-on food preparation, cooking and eating in a supportive and therapeutic environment. Our registered dietitian nutritionist, chef educator and occupational therapist discuss topics such as anti-inflammatory nutrition, cooking techniques and energy conservation.
In this 8-week program, you will meet with our team at the Rooftop Garden every other week for four workshops that include light physical and mindfulness activities, gardening instruction and nutrition education. Additionally, you will complete four at-home activities related to the lessons learned during the off weeks.
Kaleidoscope is a 4-week program for tweens and teens that focuses on healthy habits. Like a kaleidoscope, this program illustrates new patterns and new ways of thinking about food, physical activity, and mental wellbeing. Kaleidoscope focuses on four pillars of health – good food, movement, rest, and connectedness. The program is designed to provide fun and hands on opportunities, led by a pediatric registered dietitian and psychology specialists.
For individuals looking for more information on our clinical programs or how to get referred, or for practitioners or departments interested in partnering with Culinary Medicine please contact Christina Vollbrecht Christina.Vollbrecht [at] uvmhealth.org (Christina[dot]Vollbrecht[at]uvmhealth[dot]org).
Educational Workshops, Demonstrations & Lectures
Our team is available for a curated guest lecture, webinar or to host a demonstration for your organization. For more information or to schedule, please contact to R. Leah Pryor at Ramana.Pryor [at] uvmhealth.org (Ramana[dot]Pryor[at]uvmhealth[dot]org).
Thank you to our partners in integrative health education!
- UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences
- UVM Employee Wellness
- UVM Honors College
- UVM Larner College of Medicine
- UVM Osher Center for Integrative Health
- Various Corporate and Community Partners