North Jersey doctor to grow 'food as medicine' practice on Morris County farm

No conspiracy here -- just good old fashioned medicine, in the fine tradition of Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, who told us to let food be our medicine and medicine be our food.

North Jersey doctor to grow 'food as medicine' practice on Morris County farm

After taking care of some of Hudson County’s sickest residents for 25 years, internist Ronald Weiss says he’s figured out how to make people healthy — and it’s not by writing prescriptions or ordering surgery.

Weiss would rather recommend a daily dose of what’s growing on his 348-acre, 18th-century farm in Long Valley. And next week, this city doctor will get that opportunity when he launches New Jersey’s first farm-based practice, rooted in the philosophy that the right food — fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, beans and seeds — is medicine.

The doctor understands that food alone cannot cure all ills of course:

"I am not saying if you fall down and break your ankle, I can fix it by putting a salve of mugwort on it. You need someone to fix your fracture," Weiss said.

But the good doctor also understands the tremendous healing powers plants hold:

Fruits and vegetables contain nutrients that prevent inflammation, which is believed to be cause of many chronic diseases, said Weiss, a 52-year-old married father of two and an assistant professor at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark.... "Plant-based whole foods are the most powerful disease-modifying tools available to practitioners — more powerful than any drugs or surgeries."

Unfortunately, as Dr. Weiss realizes, even within the medical field, not everyone understands or shares his philosophy. Which is pretty darn sad, since we should know better. On the simplest level, there is no doubt that vitamin deficiencies can cause serious medical conditions, and many medicines are made of plants/food. A lack of vitamin C causes scurvy... a lack of iron causes anemia... and so on. But even when we acknowledge a connection, there is also still considerable debate within the medical community about food/nutritional issues. The effects of saturated fats and cholesterol on heart disease is one example. Conventional wisdom tells us that all saturated fats are bad, giving us too much cholesterol, and causing heart disease. But new studies continue to debunk that "wisdom."

In March, the British journal Annals of Internal Medicine added to the mystery after reviewing 72 studies and concluding there was "no significant evidence that saturated fats increase the risk of heart disease."

It's a growing field, with much still to learn and understand. But for Dr. Weiss, this is a no-brainer... or maybe the opposite, a full-brainer:

"I see this farm as an opportunity for me to take everything I’ve done all my life, all the biology and chemistry of plants I have studied, and link them to the human biological system."

I think this is truly awesome. I hope it's a game-changer and a brand new beginning for how we view and treat disease. Good luck and brightest blessings, Dr. Weiss!!!

Organically grown produce is healthier than any garden edibles grown with chemical fertilizer, pesticides and over processing.

I used to be in a position to garden that way and I have never tasted anything better in my life. When its done right, theres no need for Petro chemicals, pesticides, just some good soil preparation, compost and water.

originally posted by: intrptr
Organically grown produce is healthier than any garden edibles grown with chemical fertilizer, pesticides and over processing.

I used to be in a position to garden that way and I have never tasted anything better in my life.

You are so right! There's nothing like fresh veggies from the garden -- for taste and health.

When its done right, theres no need for Petro chemicals, pesticides, just some good soil preparation, compost and water.

I've been having fun with companion plantings for repelling insects. I seem to have the best luck keeping the bad bugs away with marigolds. I'm re-planning my veggie beds, we're going with three or four raised beds and companion plants are going to be a big part of it.

a reply to: Boadicea

Great news and thank you. I'm in NJ and I'll check my insurance, hope he is in in the list.

originally posted by: Trueman
a reply to: Boadicea

Great news and thank you. I'm in NJ and I'll check my insurance, hope he is in in the list.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. That would be wonderful. The farm sounds amazing.

Good luck!

I know that good organic food is better for us as long as the right food is eaten at the right time. But many commercial organic foods are grown on land that was used for commercial growing back as little as five years or more ago. So the land can still be full of chemicals and still deficient on micronutrients. It only takes five years of sitting to be qualified as organic land, that is often not enough.

Now potatoes grow well with fertilizer. Organics can cause problems sometimes. They need sand in the soil, the quality of the sand is important. Potatoes actually digest rock and sand and get their minerals from it. They do need to be rotated with oats though because oats convert a few minerals to a usable form for the potatoes.

Good fresh soil makes good veggies, burnt out soil does not produce good veggies. Some organic pesticides are also not good for us.

There are good and bad with everything but I know that the organic veggies usually taste a lot better. We belong to a coop and buy some organic stuff. We just bought four more bottles of organic ketchup for stock. There is no comparison between organic ketchup and commercial ketchup. Carrots are better organic but also local carrots grown on good soils beat both types. Lots of flavor.

originally posted by: rickymouse
I know that good organic food is better for us as long as the right food is eaten at the right time.

This is so true and so important. The time of day can be important, as well as the time of year, also important is eating the right foods together -- and avoiding other food combinations. I'm sure there's probably more to it. I'm hoping that with increase focus on food and nutrition as medicine, that research will increase proportionately. I know, for example, that iron requires Vitamin C to be absorbed and processed, but that calcium inhibits iron absorption.

But many commercial organic foods are grown on land that was used for commercial growing back as little as five years or more ago. So the land can still be full of chemicals and still deficient on micronutrients. It only takes five years of sitting to be qualified as organic land, that is often not enough.

Another truth. I blame big agra, and my hope is that as consumer interest in organic faming increases, so does interest in small scale farming which don't need to depend on chemical herbicides and pesticides. I can dream, right?

Good fresh soil makes good veggies, burnt out soil does not produce good veggies. Some organic pesticides are also not good for us.

This is one of the reasons I want to shift my veggie gardens to a few raised beds, that I can rotate appropriately. Interesting enough, it seems that growing hemp for a season and turning the roots back into the soil after harvest is a great soil rejuvenator...

There are good and bad with everything but I know that the organic veggies usually taste a lot better. We belong to a coop and buy some organic stuff. We just bought four more bottles of organic ketchup for stock. There is no comparison between organic ketchup and commercial ketchup. Carrots are better organic but also local carrots grown on good soils beat both types. Lots of flavor.

We're looking into buying into a farm coop right now too, along with my son and his wife. I'll probably have to learn a few new recipes, but that will be fun too. I grow a few things -- tomatoes, summer squash, chili peppers, herbs -- but I'd love the variety a coop would provide.

is he going to start selling miracle organic plant seeds for a low low price of $49.99 per 6 oz bag of seeds; or get 10 oz for $59.99
Act now!

i feel like ive heard this news before... many times.

originally posted by: odzeandennz
is he going to start selling miracle organic plant seeds for a low low price of $49.99 per 6 oz bag of seeds; or get 10 oz for $59.99
Act now!

i feel like ive heard this news before... many times.

I understand your cynicism. It's well-founded. We've all seen too many great ideas be hijacked and tainted and corrupted by greed and avarice.

But you must also see the beauty of this idea as well... no? Not only for a doctor treating his patients. Ideally, as more and more people understanding the importance of clean fresh produce for both maintaining and restoring health, more and more people will begin to grow their own clean fresh produce as well. Even apartment dwellers can grow many veggies in pots on a porch or in a sunny window. It could encourage more community gardens. Perhaps encourage more people to shop at farmers markets, thus promoting more small-scale organic farms as opposed to big commercial chemical-dependent farms.

The benefits to individuals and to society as a whole are countless!

This is fantastic news to bring to the light, I know people who have had a myriad of health complaints, surgeries and such that never listen to word I say when I suggest a diet change. Some people if the advice doesn't come from a doctor, won't think twice about the very first thing one should do with particular ailments.
Now, maybe the good doctor starting this farm to grow food for healthcare can document changes in the people he treats and then more peoples eyes can be opened.
If you have clogged arteries, a diet change does mean something.
If you have arthritis, there are foods to help with inflammation.
Trouble sleeping, foods rich in magnesium can help with that and constipation.
The list goes on and I can only speak for myself as to how much better I feel with looking into nutrition.
Thank you for the great thread.

originally posted by: peppycat

This is fantastic news to bring to the light, I know people who have had a myriad of health complaints, surgeries and such that never listen to word I say when I suggest a diet change. Some people if the advice doesn't come from a doctor, won't think twice about the very first thing one should do with particular ailments.

This is so sadly true. So many also seem to think it's one way or another, and do not realize that diet and nutritional can be a powerful supplement to conventional medicines/treatment. It doesn't have to be either/or!

Now, maybe the good doctor starting this farm to grow food for healthcare can document changes in the people he treats and then more peoples eyes can be opened.

I would sure hope so. He is in a position to document patient history, symptoms, course of recovery, etc. His records could be quite valuable in not just demonstrating the value of food as medicine, but also increase understanding of how foods heal, how various foods work synergistically together -- or not -- and so much more. Yes, so much good can come from his "farmacy!"

Thank you for the great thread.

You're welcome! And thank you for the interest