Prescription produce: USDA grant helps Southwest Virginia health effort

A USDA grant will help a Southwest Virginia regional effort to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, with the goal of improving food security and health outcomes.

The $479,918 grant will fund the Southwest Virginia Produce Prescription Program, led by a regional collaborative including Local Environmental Agriculture Project, Carilion Clinic, Radford University, Virginia Fresh Match and Feeding Southwest Virginia.

Over the next three years, produce prescriptions will be available to eligible Medicaid patients receiving care in Roanoke, Floyd, Franklin County and Radford. Healthcare providers will be able to refer patients with high blood pressure, prediabetes or diabetes to the program through Carilion’s Community Health and Outreach Department.

Enrolled patients will participate in the program for six months, attending nutrition classes where they can redeem weekly prescriptions for free fruits and vegetables on-site through Feeding Southwest Virginia, or at participating Virginia Fresh Match outlets, including area farmers markets, mobile markets and local grocers.

“This USDA grant is a transformative opportunity to address some of the most pressing health challenges in our region,” said Beth Polk, M.D., Family and Community Medicine physician at Carilion. “By connecting patients to fresh, nutritious foods and empowering them with education, we aim to improve chronic disease outcomes and enhance food security. This program demonstrates the power of community partnerships in creating meaningful, sustainable health improvements.”

Originally piloted in 2015 in response to findings from Carilion’s Community Health Assessments, the project builds on more than 10 years of experience implementing small-scale produce prescription programs in underserved Roanoke City communities. Evaluation and research efforts, led by Radford University, will allow the SWPRx project team to improve the program’s impact, sustainability and scalability over time.

Research associated with the program will be used to further strengthen health equity and improve patient health outcomes by integrating healthcare with community food systems in a flexible and sustainable way.

“By integrating community food systems into the SWPRx project, we also support local farmers and community-based food retailers and connect participants to programs like food pantries and Virginia Fresh Match outlets that provide ongoing and affordable access to produce,” said Maureen McNamara Best, executive director at LEAP and project director for SWPRx.