Programs & Events
Nourishing health in our community.
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.
We invite you to enjoy our community spaces at UVM Medical Center.
Located at Fanny Allen, 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 Learning Garden, please send an email to 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.
Community Programs & Events
Our mission is to nourish health in our community through the experience of food, the science of nutrition, and the wonder of the natural world.
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. 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.
Join our live series of free virtual cooking demonstrations and conversation on sustainable food and cooking.
Learn about incorporating fresh and local seasonal ingredients, cooking with what you have on hand, decreasing food waste and saving money.
View the program flyer for more session information
Clinical Programs
Culinary Medicine partners with clinical departments to bring evidence-based health improvement programs to our patients and community. If you are interested in any of the following programs, please contact Christina Vollbrecht.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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@uvmhealth.org.
Thank you to our partners in integrative health education!
- University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences
- University of Vermont Employee Wellness
- University of Vermont Honors College
- Larner College of Medicine
- University of Vermont Osher Center for Integrative Health
- Various Corporate and Community Partners
Culinary Medicine How-To Guides for Practitioners
Join Chef Educators Leah Pryor and Christina Vollbrecht in a 3-part how-to series for practitioners interested in developing and executing culinary medicine engagements – from food tastings to hands-on cooking classes.
Part 1 examines how to start planning your engagement, beginning with a space assessment to determine physical parameters for your program and considering time and location.
Part 2 Examines people and content, understanding your target audience and how to develop a team, recipes, and curriculum that meet the specific needs of your audience.
Coming Soon!
Part 3 discusses finding your flow in prep and pre-work, setting up your space, a guide for flow of service and delivery.
I am grateful for the gardening program. When my husband and I knew nothing about gardening, it helped us to be good gardeners. We are still learning, but without this program we would not be where we are now.
