BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Valley Children’s Healthcare joined forces with Adventist Health Central Valley to advance the Blue Zones initiative in Bakersfield, a community-wide effort aimed at improving health for kids and families.
The partnership recently marked a milestone with the installation of two hydroponic gardens in the Kern High School District.
Designed by the district’s chef and nutrition services team, the gardens are expected to produce more than 25 pounds of fresh vegetables per unit each month – enough to help feed 1,500 students across 19 high schools and 11 continuation campuses.
Funding for the gardens came from Valley Children’s through its Guilds Center for Community Health, which prioritizes food security and access to healthy foods.
“This is the kind of collaboration that creates generational change,” said Lynne Ashbeck, Valley Children’s senior vice president and chief community impact officer. “The Valley grows everything, yet these families don’t have access to it. That paradox begins to shift when more students grow up eating fresh vegetables.”
The Blue Zones initiative works to transform environments – from schools and restaurants to parks and workplaces – to make healthy choices easier and more accessible.
Local leaders, including State Senator Shannon Grove and Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh, joined Adventist Health’s Blue Zones team and district officials in supporting the project.
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