The lack of nutritious food makes an individual 2x more likely to develop diabetes or cardiovascular disease. According to a Feeding America survey conducted in 2016, 16% of Central Oregonians had limited access to adequate food and 30% of these people did not qualify for food assistance programs. Healthcare providers agree that the health of their patients would be improved through increased access to nutritious food and nutrition education because increasing fruit and vegetable intake improves health and decreases disease burden. The price of fruits and vegetables as well as a lack of knowledge of how to use them are barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption.
“I try to make it a top priority. When I’m making my grocery list, I try and make the vegetables not the last thing to purchase. Although my funds are still the same I’m much more motivated to buy vegetables after the program. You know, I'm on a very tight budget. Fresh foods get expensive. It’s so nice to have the option of local high-quality farms." Program Participant
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- To combat the ongoing population health concern and its barriers, the VeggieRx pilot program was created.
- The program was implemented by the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance (HDFFA).
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- The project attempted to decrease food insecurity and increase health outcomes by…
- Creating a fruit and vegetable prescription program using local healthcare providers.
- Providing education to participants in the program.
- Creating connections between participants, healthcare providers, and local businesses.
- The goal of VeggieRx was to…
1. Increase the consumption of fresh produce.2. Encourage healthy behaviors.3. Link healthcare providers, patients, and farmers in Central Oregon.4. Invest in the local food economy.- Participants were enrolled in the program by local healthcare providers and were given $20 in produce vouchers weekly for 8 weeks and were educated by a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist.
- The project attempted to decrease food insecurity and increase health outcomes by…
On average, a participant’s fruit and vegetable intake was increased by 1.4 cups per day. Many participants continue to eat more fruits and vegetables after the program.
Thanks to the vouchers, over 80% of participants reported being able to stretch their meals with fresh produce.
100% of participants reported using 75-100% of vegetable kits when home and 92% of participants felt more motivated to eat fresh produce after programming.
To date, the program increased farmers’ sales by investing $138,308 back into the local food economy
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The program taught the High Desert Food and Farm Alliance that:1. A better funding model is needed to sustain the program long-term.2. The community would benefit from a more flexible delivery system to accommodate participants with limitations.3. A model to encourage greater retention of men is needed and fewer men graduated the program than women.4. Expanding eligibility may help to better serve the entire population in need.
The program created a connection between HDFFA, local farmers, and prescribing physicians through the referral system.
HDFFA believed that creating community connections between health care providers, patients, and farmers was key to the success of the program and long-term reduction of food insecurity in Central Oregon.
The past years of VeggieRx have evolved, changing with community demand, and accommodating COVID-19 restrictions. In 2019, participants in Redmond and Bend picked up $20 worth of tokens to be spent at corresponding farmers markets on fresh produce, every week for 8 weeks. In Prineville, in 2019, participants picked up produce kits next (value of $20) to the Fresh to You mobile food pantry for 8 weeks. Attendance hovered around 70%. Graduates increased their fruit and vegetable intake (FVI) by 1.4 cups/day.
In 2021, VeggieRx split into two distinct programs. One pilot of 50 participants where HDFFA partnered with St. Charles to improve upon existing data collection and determine program effect on a1c, weight, and health care use costs. With collaborative funding from the Oregon Department of Veteran Affairs, 60 Veterans also participated in VeggieRx all over Central Oregon, with home-bound delivery and programming in pick-up sites in Bend and Prineville.