Q&A: Katelyn Smoger with The Farm at Trinity Health Michigan

How does The Farm at Oakland partner and aid the community we serve?

The Farm at Oakland works actively with our neighbors, patients, workgroups, and other non-profit community organizations throughout the year. Here are just a few ways we work together:

• Approximately 80% of the food grown at the hospital is donated to clinics that primarily serve members of our community who need some additional support affording fresh food and meeting other social needs. Conversations with patients at these clinics can lead to referrals into our programs, such as the Farm Share Assistance Program.
• We donate produce to Sprout Fresh Food Store and Micah 6 Community, as well as host veggie sale pop-ups with them here at Trinity Health Oakland
• We host the Summer Youth Employment Program students with Centro Multicultural La Familia, where local Pontiac youth are paid to learn both job skills and life skills, from how to grow their own food, to how to negotiate a job offer.
• The Farm at Trinity Health offers tours and presentations to groups and individuals (from Oakland County’s Food Policy Council to local brownie troops!) to highlight the importance of how we believe fresh, local food can make a difference in health outcomes, social connectedness, and overall happiness for everyone.

What does it mean to have a hospital with a farm?

It’s hard to ask someone, “Do you worry you’ll run out of food?” when you feel you don’t have a way to help if they say yes. One of the most meaningful aspects of The Farm is that it takes a standardized social determinant of health question in a clinical setting, and offers a real solution our providers can offer patients on the spot. Beyond this, having a hospital with a farm can be a way of truly nourishing the minds, bodies, and spirits of our community, patients and their families, as well as our colleagues. If you have visited the cut flower garden, had lunch under the pavilion, shopped at our Farm Stand, or received seeds or a bouquet from us, I hope you’d agree.

How can colleagues and the public engage with the Farm?

We have something for everyone! You can follow us online @TheFarmatTrinityHealthOakland on Facebook and Instagram. You can also eat good food by visiting the Farm Stand on Wednesdays in the Farm and Food Hub from 3-6 p.m. You can also send an email to FarmVolunteers@trinity-health.org if you want to come out and help us seed, weed, create, or pack! We welcome groups or individuals.

Additionally, you can bring a group for a formal tour, presentation or collaboration by emailing us at OaklandFarm@trinity-health.org with your details. You can also share flowers with others (or keep them for yourself) by visiting our cut flower garden (the two “v” shaped beds,) by the pavilion and snip a few blooms share or save.

What future projects and improvements can we expect to see from the Farm this year?


In the past two years The Farm Team (and our awesome volunteers!) have added thousands of square feet of growing space to our production side. This year we plan to add a large herb garden, signage, a wash pack space, and more flowers!

What do you like the best about your job?


There are so many things to love about my job. The genuine connections that we get to make every day with visitors, farm share members, patients, and our colleagues is one of my favorites. There is something so special about being able to make someone’s day with a flower or crop that you spent time nurturing from a just a tiny seed.