Augusta, GA
Augusta food pharmacy teaches new moms about nutrition, resources
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A new food pharmacy is helping pregnant and postpartum mothers make sure they get the right resources for nutrition.
We spoke with a mom about how this is helping her and other moms in our area.
The National Institute of Health ranks Georgia as number two in the country for maternal mortality.
What’s the biggest issue they face here in Augusta? Access to healthy food and knowledge of how to take care of their body both before and after the baby is here.
Augusta University, the HUB and Augusta Locally Grown are all teaming up to find solutions and teaching moms to use food as medicine.
Pregnancy complications were never in the cards for first-time mom Sara Clark.
“My blood pressure skyrocketed. And I didn’t really know a whole lot about that. But I do know now that it is part of pre-eclampsia, which I have the MTHFR gene, which is very common nowadays. But you are predisposed to preeclampsia,” said Clark.
When she brought baby Trace home, she says her health took the backseat.
Trace continued to pass milestones and because Clark’s blood pressure was rarely checked, it continued to rise.
Without proper follow-up care, Dr. Marlo Vernon says moms like Clark can develop chronic health issues leading to death.
“We have one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the country. And the way we look at maternal mortality is not just during pregnancy, but throughout the first year postpartum. And people forget that moms still need to be monitoring their own health and ensuring that they have healthy lifestyles after those first six weeks postpartum,” said Vernon.
This is why this food Farmacy at the HUB was created.
Tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce are just a few of the items that come from our local area farms straight to the table of new and expecting moms along with recipes for a happier and healthier lifestyle.
“We provide that to moms enrolled in our program, alongside teaching methods, how to make healthy meals for yourself how to shop for healthy, healthy foods and how to access healthy meals,” said Vernon.
Vernon says once-a-week cooking classes target blood sugar, gestational diabetes and postpartum health control.
“One thing we’re trying to teach moms is and providing them the tools to get there right, is that a healthy diet can also be your medicine. Being physically active, and eating well, are two key factors to reducing your risk of a lot of diseases,” said Vernon.
It’s helping moms just like Clark flip the script to use food as medicine.
Clark said: “Learning that that puts the focus back on the mom and just being like, what can you do after pregnancy? Or after you have the baby? What are some safe ways that you can, you know, also take care of your baby, but take care of yourself.”
The next class cooking class is on Wednesday.
Leaders say they are looking for women with chronic health conditions, food insecure and expecting or recently postpartum. It is set to run for the next six months and comes at no cost to those who qualify.
20 women have already signed up, and they’re looking for 20 more.
If you want to sign up, click here.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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An Augusta biomanufacturer will start making ammunition in the global fight against malaria.
Manus last week broke ground at its local plant on Lovers Lane on a production facility to produce artemisinin. The chemical is a key starting component in drug treatments to treat the deadly mosquito-borne illness. Malaria killed more than 600,000 people worldwide in 2024, according to the World Health Organization
“This groundbreaking reflects a shift from dependence to capability,” said Ajikumar Parayil, Manus’ founder and CEO. “For decades, the U.S. has relied heavily on overseas supply chains for the building blocks of essential medicines. What we’re establishing in Augusta is a new model – one that restores control, strengthens resilience, and proves that advanced biomanufacturing can be deployed at scale, here at home.”
About 80% of key ingredients for essential U.S. medicines are made or sourced overseas, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
That has led companies such as Manus to pursue biomanufacturing production models capable of making medical compounds domestically, efficiently and on a large scale.
Earlier in 2026, Manus won federal funding to expand production to make shikimic acid, a key compound in the antiviral medication oseltamivir, better known by its brand name Tamiflu.
On April 30, Manus announced a partnership with the University of Georgia to start a structured biomanufacturing apprenticeship program in Augusta. With a UGA “academic blueprint,” according to Manus, apprentices would receive extensive training on live production equipment to produce more experienced professionals for bio-industrial manufacturers nationwide.
Manus reopened Augusta’s old NutraSweet plant in 2019. In 2021, it introduced NutraSweet Natural, a zero-calorie stevia sweetener made using a smaller environmental footprint.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Brent McMillian is being appointed as the new director of athletics at Augusta University, President Russell Keen announced Monday.
McMillian will begin the role on June 8, 2026.
According to AU, McMillian brings 13 years of athletics experience to the position. He previously served as Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Engagement and Revenue Generation at Lipscomb University at Nashville.
“His vision aligns seamlessly with our goals for Jaguar Athletics: to champion student-athlete wellbeing, strengthen our competitive success, deepen community engagement, and build a vibrant, spirited campus culture,” Keen said. “His experience, combined with his personal connection to Augusta University, positions him to hit the ground running in a meaningful way.”
McMillian is a graduate of Greenbrier High School and attended Augusta University before completing his degree at the University of Tennessee.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Local restaurants hosted brunches for Mother’s Day, allowing neighbors to celebrate the day with the special women in their lives.
The Brunch House of Augusta on Greene Street hosted a brunch. The restaurant served berry pancakes and French toast, waffles, ham and cheese breakfast sliders and more breakfast foods.
One of the owners said the holidays are a great time for them to make connections with the community.
“We just had a group here come here that’s been coming here every year Mother’s Day for three years, every year basically since we’ve been open, they come in every year for Mother’s Day. We have people from out of town come and travel and visit us, so it’s definitely building that connection,” said Ashley Brown, co-owner of The Brunch House of Augusta.
Brown said they will be offering some specials for the upcoming Juneteenth holiday next month.
The Frog and the Hen also hosted a Mother’s Day brunch. The restaurant had about 350 people come in as of around 3 p.m.
They served foods like fried chicken, cheddar biscuits, French toast casserole and more.
The general manager said she enjoys seeing families come in for holidays like Mother’s Day.
“I feel like these are all my children here, so I feel like this day just in general, like I get to be the mother here, and so this is like I’m mother hen, so I get to take care of all this. I love supporting all the people as well and just being able to get the best food possible, the best chicken everywhere,” said Sheridan Roberts, general manager of Frog and the Hen.
Roberts said they often have to stop making reservations a few weeks ahead of the holiday due to the amount they receive.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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