If you happen to walk out the front doors of the Adventist Health Portland hospital on a Tuesday afternoon this summer, you might be surprised to find an array of healthy, delicious produce for sale nearby. Cabbage, cherries, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, and collard greens are just a few of the many options available. How did it get there? So we stopped by to ask Terry Johnsson about it. Terry currently serves as Vice President for Community and Mission Integration at OHSU/Adventist Health Portland.

“Around four years ago, we partnered with an organization called Outgrow Hunger,” Terry shared. “They have a farm outside of Troutdale that’s about 50 acres, and they work with immigrant farmers, particularly those who have come from refugee camps and others who are already familiar with farming. Often when people come to the United States everything is so new, so this organization shows the farmers which seeds are available and what’s popular to grow in this region, and they allow them to farm there. They also teach people how to sell their produce at local farmer’s markets. What we love about this organization is that one hundred percent of the sales go to the farmers.”

“Another thing we love about this group is that the produce being sold at the stand here was picked the same morning before it’s brought over in the afternoon, so it really doesn’t get any fresher than that!” said Terry.

What many may not know is that the area surrounding Adventist Health Portland has recently become a food desert – an area where healthy food is hard to access for those without reliable transportation – due to the closing of a handful of grocery stores. “The largest number of East African immigrants in the city of Portland are within a three-mile radius of our hospital,” said Terry. “And a lot of them may not have cars, so they’re forced to walk or use public transportation. They’re looking for fresh, healthy food for their families, but sometimes that requires multiple bus rides to get to. That’s why we started to think about how we could help create something that was a win for everybody. So now we have a place that offers healthy produce –most of it under $5 – where you can get everything from fresh kale and collard greens to lettuce, cucumbers, and whatever else is in season.”

“We’ve studied the greatest needs we have within a four-mile radius of our hospital,” said Terry. “Drug addiction, housing, access to care, and food insecurity are all major needs here. So we’ve had to think creatively about how we can address those needs.”

“From a faith point of view, it’s important that we can do things for our neighbors without a catch,” he continued. “Without saying ‘you have to believe this before we can help you.’ We don’t always have to preach or wave the evangelism flag to send a message. Let people see us doing good and let’s make friends in the community without a catch to it. That’s what I get excited about!”

If you’re in the area and want to stop by the produce stand yourself, you’ll find it outside the hospital’s main entrance every Tuesday from 4:00-7:00 PM until the end of September!