WCGH cafeteria offers farm fresh foods to go

BELFAST — Waldo County General Hospital’s Best Café is now offering a selection of foods from Maine farms for purchase in its “Buy Local” food stand.

Patients, visitors and care team members will be able to pick up small bags of local herbs and greens, fresh produce and Maine-made condiments, as well as local meats, cheeses and tofu. The Best Café is open to the public Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The support of local agriculture is part of the hospital’s ongoing commitment to the Waldo County community, according the Sheila Costello, director of nutrition services for WCGH.

“Buying local supports the local economy, and in this case it also helps create a sustainable food system,” she said, in a WCGH news release.

The local food stand is being stocked by two local suppliers: Villageside Farm in Freedom and Crown O’Maine, a distributor based in North Vassalboro that distributes products from small to mid-scale food producers in Maine.

The Best Café began offers local fare along with recipes that can be used to highlight the local ingredients. Costello said the cheeses, microgreens and some of the condiments have been moving quickly.

“Fresh local food really does taste better,” Costello said.

Waldo County General Hospital is part of MaineHealth, a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of eight local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,600 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. For more information, please visit wcgh.org.

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