Food Is Medicine

Simplified hydroponics is affordable and practical for growing fresh produce in almost any setting. It is a powerful tool for community health organizations, hospitals, medical practices, and anyone looking to get their clients, staff, or patients involved in healthy eating and gardening. It does great on a roof, parking lot, or even in empty rooms as a way to grow produce for food “farmacies” and engage patients and staff with gardening and healthy eating.

 

Levo’s hydroponic training center in the lobby of the Hispanic Health Council Wellness Center

What Levo adds:

  1. Technology: Levo designs and installs simplified hydroponics that fit the space and program of our healthcare partners. From custom hydroponics to off-the-shelf hydroponics. Our systems are straightforward and can be easily incorporated into existing programs.

  2. Expertise: Levo is the foremost expert on simplified hydroponic farming techniques. We can provide insight on best practices around hydroponic farming for partners with limited agricultural skills.

  3. Education: Levo has trained thousands of people in how to build and operate hydroponic farms. Beyond staff and volunteers at our partners, Levo can add educational programming for partners interested in expanding community outreach.

North Hartford

Levo’s Partners

Levo has a growing network of food is medicine partners,

Hartford Hospital- Hartford

Joan C Dauber Food Pantry- Hydroponic Food Production

Windham Hospital- Hydroponic Food Production

Backus Hospital- Norwich

Charlotte Hungerford Hospital- Torrington

Hispanic Health Council- Hartford

Hartford Hospital (Food4Health clinic)

Diet-related illnesses, such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, are commonly treated with medication. Many low-income patients in Hartford can’t afford the foods or don’t know how to prepare the food that would reduce or prevent the onset of these diseases. Therefore, the Food4Health Program was created to provide free “prescriptions” of healthy food and recipes.

How Levo supports: Levo has constructed two rooftop hydroponic farms for Hartford Hospital since 2023. These rooftops provide high-quality fresh food to the clinic and are maintained by hospital volunteers and Levo technicians.

Expansion Plans: Levo expects to construct a large greenhouse on Seymour Street in Hartford in 2025 for the year round production of vegetables for the clinic.

Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry

The Joan C. Dauber Food Pantry at St. Francis Hospital provides food assistance, nutritional counseling, and case management to families and individuals in the Hartford County area. This program supplies critical nutrition to hungry individuals and families.

How Levo supports: In 2022, Levo took over the Burgdorf Community Garden, which had been abandoned for several years, turned it into Levo’s first hydroponic farm in Hartford, and used it to launch our community-supported agriculture program. Levo has improved and expanded the farm over the past three years and will be growing an expected 3,000 pounds at Bugdorf Health Clinic in 2025, a large portion of which will go to support the Joan C. Dauber Pantry, which is on the same property.

Windham Hospital:

Windham Hospital approached Levo in the Winter 2024 to construct a hydroponic farm on their site to boost their impact on food insecurity in Willimantic. By July, Levo had constructed and gotten Windham up and running with a hydroponic farm built out in their un-used parking spaces on campus.

Charlotte Hungerford Hospital

An expansion of the Hartford Healthcare Food4Health Clinic at Charlotte Hungerford.


How Levo supports: In 2024, Levo built a rooftop hydroponic farm for the team at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital and trained and supported their staff in its operation.