Beckley ARH hosts second Food is Medicine Day and Farmers’ Market

NEWS RELEASE - August 27, 2026

Beckley ARH Hospital hosts
Food is Medicine Day and Farmers' Market

BECKLEY, W.Va. - Beckley ARH Hospital hosted a Community Food is Medicine Day and Farmers' Market at the ARH Southern West Virginia Clinic Wednesday.

This event, in its second year, was part of ARH's continued efforts to promote the importance of healthful, locally produced food.

ARH Regional Community Health and Impact Manager Kelly Elkins said the day served as an opportunity to educate community members on how they can make healthier food choices while also supporting local farmers and producers.

"These activities give our community members a chance to meet the farmers, purchase their items and establish a consumer relationship that will hopefully continue into the future," she said.

During the inaugural event in 2025, West Virginia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt, along with ARH Chief of Staff Rocky Massey, signed a proclamation affirming the Ag Department's partnership with ARH in promoting Food is Medicine in Southern West Virginia.

"We were proud to work with Commissioner Leonhardt last year," said ARH Vice President of Wellness Dr. Nika Larian. "It's been wonderful to watch as the momentum from that day built across the state over the past year, and we're excited to watch it continue to grow."

In addition to the opportunity to browse and purchase a selection of healthful, locally produced food, visitors also had the chance to speak with members of the ARH Wellness Team and other healthcare workers, who were on hand to provide information and to perform blood pressure checks, stroke screenings and A1C readings,

The event also included healthful food cooking demonstrations from Fruits of Labor owner and executive chef Tammy Jordan and Beckley ARH Executive Chef Kayla Alred.

Fayetteville singer/songwriter Andrew Adkins performed live music throughout the day.

Because healthful eating and exercise go hand-in-hand, Allie Davidson, a nurse practitioner who serves as the ARH Lifestyle Medicine Clinical Service Line Director, led participants on a "Walk With the Doc" event at the YMCA Paul Cline Memorial Sports Complex at the conclusion of the farmers' market.

The walk, Davidson said, provided a chance for participants to enjoy easy exercise while learning more about the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine.

"It was a great chance to get outside, meet new people and encourage them to move their bodies while learning how Lifestyle Medicine can positively impact their health and longevity," she said.

Elkins said the event served as "another opportunity to further the ARH mission, which is to improve the lives and well-being of the people in our communities.

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About Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH)
Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) traces its roots back to 1955, when the United Mine Workers of America opened the Miners Memorial Hospital system - a network of 10 hospitals dedicated to providing care throughout the coalfields of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia. Seventy years later, ARH has grown into a 14-hospital not-for-profit health system that serves more than 500,000 residents of central Appalachia each year. ARH hospitals in Barbourville, Harlan, Hazard, Hyden, Martin, McDowell, Middlesboro, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, West Liberty, Whitesburg, and South Williamson in Kentucky, and Beckley and Hinton in West Virginia, ensure that residents, tucked away in even the most remote areas, can access the highest quality of care without traveling hours from home. ARH's hospitals, clinics, multi-specialty physician practices, home health agencies, home medical equipment stores, retail pharmacies, and medical spas boast more than 6,700 employees with a network of more than 1,300 providers, making it the single largest employer in southeastern Kentucky and the third-largest private employer in southern West Virginia.