Kate Farms Supports Food Security for Native Americans Amid Pandemic

Partnership With Native Americans is working with several new organizations and individuals who are helping to support our COVID-19 relief efforts for Native Americans tribes. With high infection rates now in many tribal communities, nutrition is more important than ever to boost immune systems, especially among Elders.

Kate Farms, a plant-based, organic medical nutrition company recently provided 10,000 meal replacement shakes to PWNA for Elders of Navajo and other Southwest tribes impacted by COVID-19, as part of its 250,000-meal commitment to serving those most in need. We spoke with John Hommeyer, Chief Experience Officer at Kate Farms, to discuss more about their nutritional products and the positive impact they hope to make for communities in need.

Can you tell us more about Kate Farms and the power of food for better health?

Kate Farms was founded on the value of bringing nutrition to those most at risk, thanks to loving parents who were determined to save their daughter Kate who was born with cerebral palsy. Kate was failing to thrive because she could not tolerate the available tube-feeding formulas, so out of desperation, her parents developed a plant-based formula without any common allergens. Kate, who is a thriving 13-year old now, is the perfect example of how the power of food, and more importantly nutrition, leads to better health and in turn improves quality of life.  

At Kate Farms, we believe good nutrition is medicine and our meal replacement shakes help restore and support health, deliver necessary nutrients and vitamins and boost overall immunity. In fact, Kate Farms is the no. 1 recommended plant-based beverage prescribed to deliver vital medical nutrition to people with chronic diseases and the general population. Now, Kate Farms is continuing our mission to deliver nutrition to those most in need from coast to coast.

Why did Kate Farms decide to help Native Americans during the pandemic?

We feel compelled to act in these tough times – it’s who we are at Kate Farms. With the advent of COVID-19, we know that those most-at risk are seniors, and even prior to this pandemic we understood the food insecurities facing the Native American communities. This is why we wanted to distribute our plant-based meal replacement shakes to Elders of the Navajo Nation and other Southwest tribes impacted by COVID-19, as part of our commitment to serve 250,000 meals to those most in need.

Why did you choose PWNA to distribute your products to the reservations in need?

We are grateful for our relationship with Partnership With Native Americans and for the chance to continue our mission to deliver high quality, plant-based medical nutrition. We looked for partners who had the infrastructure and experience to quickly and efficiently deliver food, so it made perfect sense to work with PWNA and put our nutritional meals directly in the hands of those who can ensure they reach Native communities, and more specifically, Native Elders. It’s a privilege to work with an organization that has dedicated its full force to improving the lives of Native Americans.

What makes these meal replacement shakes ideal for Native American Elders?

Kate Farms produces plant-based, organic and clinically-proven nutritional formulas with none of the major allergens – such as soy, dairy and corn – that many traditional formulas contain. Kate Farms is made of easily digestible yellow pea protein, prebiotics from organic agave inulin and a clinically effective phytonutrient blend that delivers antioxidants. Our products taste great and are good for those with diabetes and a low glycemic index. Kate Farms is on formulary with many of the leading adult hospital systems and provides delicious nutrients to our senior community across the country.

Is there anything else you’d like to add? 

We are fortunate to have the opportunity to make sure those most at-risk are getting the nutrition they need through Kate Farms. We are focused on three main populations during COVID-19: seniors, front-line healthcare workers, and those without access to quality healthcare and nutrition. And we are so inspired by the efforts of so many volunteers who are right there with us in helping those in need. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, Kate Farms is donating more than 250,000 complete meals to those most at risk, which is equivalent to $1 million dollars in plant-based formulas. Our donation supports the pandemic relief efforts of PWNA, Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health, Meals on Wheels and The Campaign Against Hunger in Brooklyn, with the goal of getting nutrition directly into the hands of those impacted, including the elderly.