On May 21, 2026, it was truly an honor for Asawana Farms to be invited to the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center Food is Medicine Open House. For us, this invitation was more than just an event appearance. It was a meaningful recognition of the growing partnership between Asawana Farms and UM Capital Region Health — a partnership rooted in food, health, culture, community wellness, and practical education.
At Asawana Farms, we believe that Food as Medicine must go beyond simply giving people vegetables. It must also include teaching people how to grow, prepare, understand, and connect with the foods that support their health. This is especially important for culturally relevant foods that many communities already know, trust, and value, such as moringa, bitter leaf, bitter melon, kale, collards, and Swiss chard.
Through our partnership with UM Capital Region Health, medical doctors and patients have visited Asawana Farms to volunteer and learn directly on the farm. They participated in hands-on growing activities and learned how some of our medicinal and nutrient-rich vegetables are planted, cared for, harvested, and used. This kind of practical learning is important because it shows that Food as Medicine can be personal, accessible, and empowering.
One of the most exciting parts of this work is our grow bag model. Each doctor and patient who visited the farm received a grow bag to take home, plant, and care for. This simple act carries a powerful message: you do not need a large farm to grow food. You can grow healthy vegetables on a porch, patio, balcony, small backyard, or community space.
Asawana Farms also provided moringa, bitter leaf, kale, collards, and Swiss chard for the hospital to grow behind one of its buildings. Throughout the season, hospital staff cared for these vegetables and harvested them. This demonstrated that a hospital can become not only a place where people receive medical care, but also a place where food, prevention, and community education come together.
The Open House brought together elected officials from the county, state, and federal levels, along with important community partners. We were grateful to share this work with leaders and organizations who care deeply about health, agriculture, food access, and community resilience.
Partners such as Capital Area Food Bank and Prince George’s Community College were also part of the event. Prince George’s Community College provided space for the preparation and sharing of bitter leaf smoothies and callaloo dip, made with produce from Asawana Farms. This allowed the community to taste these culturally relevant vegetables in creative and accessible ways.
For Asawana Farms, this is what Food as Medicine looks like in action. It is the farmer growing the food. It is the doctor learning about the crop. It is the patient taking home a grow bag. It is the hospital staff harvesting vegetables behind the hospital. It is the community tasting bitter leaf and callaloo in new ways. It is culture, agriculture, health, and education working together.
We are doing our best to provide fresh, nutrient-rich, and culturally relevant foods to the community while also teaching people how to grow food for themselves. Our goal is to help families and communities understand that growing food is not only about farming. It is also about health, dignity, self-reliance, and community power.
We are grateful to UM Capital Region Health for recognizing and supporting this vision. We look forward to continuing this partnership and expanding opportunities for patients, families, hospital staff, and community members to learn how to grow their own Food as Medicine.
Take control of your health. Grow your own Food as Medicine.