Petaluma Health Center Garden

 We are a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides primary medical care, mental health services, dental care, health education, and community fitness classes to residents of Petaluma, Rhonert Park, Cotati, Penngrove and the surrounding areas. We are organized as a private, non profit corporation and governed by a consumer and community led Board of Directors.

Our mission is to provide excellent health information, education and clinical care to all members of the community in a financially sustainable manner, regardless of economic, insurance, or cultural barriers. The Center accomplishes this mission through collaborative, innovative programs, services and referral resources to meet the economic needs of the entire community.

You can read more about our clinic's innovative programs at: www.phealthcenter.org

Gardening for Health

As part of our mission to provide innovative services to promote wellness, we constructed a new 4,000-square-foot vegetable garden as the signature project of Petaluma 350, a citywide effort to promote sustainability and green living. The project was completed with the planning, support and labor of local nonprofit Daily Acts, volunteers from PHC, staff, patients, and friends. The garden is providing vegetables to our patients and is one of our key nutrition education tools. 

The garden is an integral part of Petaluma Loves Active Youth (PLAY), and innovative patient nutrition education program that inspires children at risk of obesity and their families to make healthier food choices, eat more nutritious meals, and incorporate physical activities into their daily routine. Families meet weekly with PHC staff, including a physician assistant, health educator, and nutritionist.

This unique program received a $10,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente to bring PLAY participants to the Petaluma Bounty Community Farm, where they picked fruit and vegetables, learned how to prepare them, and received a take-home box of produce. PLAY participants are also incorporated into the clinic's garden, where we teach the basics of how to start your own family garden at home.