Farm-to-table – Access to nutritious food matters.

With summer in full swing on the farm, plentiful vegetables fill the fields and the shelter’s kitchen.

Hattie and Finley, advocates on our staff, work together to provide nutritious farm-to-table meals for survivors. Sweet potato enchiladas, tomato soup, and big salads are among the favorites of residents.

“Our kitchen garden allows us to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into our programming and start a conversation around where our food comes from,” explains Hattie Nunley, farm advocate. “But more importantly, it encourages residents to be present in nature during the healing process.”

Finley Yuttayong, dining and nutrition advocate, recently completed trauma-informed nutrition training and wants to help survivors reflect and establish a healthier connection with their bodies and food.

She says, “We want our kitchen to be a place where survivors can safely take part in the pleasure of food, shame-free, and take a step towards a healed relationship with their bodies.”

Beyond the physical and emotional wounds from intimate partner abuse, research has found long-term health complications. Increased rates of chronic pain, gastrointestinal disorders, and heart disease are common.