News Release

Norton Regional Health Foundation Partners with Norton Correctional Facility on Produce Expansion Feasibility Study

March 04, 2024

The Norton Regional Health Foundation and Norton Correctional Facility (NCF) are pleased to announce their partnership to study the expansion of NCF’s fresh produce program. The health foundation was awarded $99,110 by the USDA’s Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) to conduct the study. The project was one of 33 awarded LFPP grant funds.

"This partnership will find ways to reduce food waste while filling in the nutrition gaps in our community,” Caryl Hale, Executive Director of Norton Regional Health Foundation, said. “The foundation is pleased that this study will align with our mission and make more healthy food available in Norton County.”

The study, being conducted by New Venture Advisors, will explore the ability of NCF to provide surplus produce to the Norton County Hospital, local nursing homes, and the school district. The foundation’s plan builds upon local food assessment data from 2022, highlighting a gap in local production, particularly in the capacity to supply local institutional nutrition departments.

“We are excited with this opportunity to lock arms with our surrounding partners in and around Norton while standing in the gap to provide fresh vegetables and produce for many who are in need,” NCF Warden Hazel Peterson said. “Our residents currently farm 2 acres of land that produces 55,000 pounds of vegetables and fruit each year. Whatever is not eaten within the prison goes to waste. And there is a lot that is thrown away that we know would benefit others in our area.”

The primary goal of the feasibility study is twofold: first, to identify the necessary resources for scaling up production, and second, to simultaneously develop workforce education at the Norton Correctional Facility. By enhancing the skills and experience of residents, this initiative aims to increase work opportunities and reduce recidivism.

Additional funding support for this project has been provided by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas as part of Norton’s Pathways to a Healthy Kansas grant. The Pathways initiative was established to support communities by providing the resources needed to engage people within those communities to live a healthier lifestyle and remove barriers to health, including access to healthy foods.

“KDOC is always excited whenever we get a chance to be part of a win-win situation,” Kansas Secretary of Corrections Jeff Zmuda said. “Hazel does an excellent job of connecting resources that benefit our population while also sharing the benefits of the work of our men.”

The LFPP-funded projects focus on supporting local and regional food businesses that serve as intermediaries in indirect producer-to-consumer marketing. These initiatives encompass activities such as processing, aggregation, distribution, storage of local and regional food products, development of value-added items, and coordination within the regional food chain.

For more information about the Norton Regional Health Foundation, or to learn how to make a tax-deductible gift, visit http://www.ntcohosp.com/foundation/foundation_info.html.

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