SULLIVAN AND ORANGE COUNTIES, NY — Here’s another, better way to get your fresh produce, especially if you can’t afford it: Garnet Health and Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County have launched the FreshRx Produce Prescription Program, offered to qualified community members in Sullivan and Orange counties.
The program is designed to increase produce consumption and educate community members on how to make impactful lifestyle changes that will lead to improved health.
In Sullivan County, 11.5 percent of the population lives with food insecurity, meaning they might not have enough to eat or aren’t sure where their next meal will come from. In Orange County, that number is 9.8 percent.
Additionally, 34 percent of Sullivan County’s adults are obese, with 28 percent self-reporting they do not participate in physical activity. In Orange County, 29 percent of adults are obese and 30 percent of adults aged 20 and older self-reported no time for physical activity.
Eligible recipients will receive a $20 food voucher redeemable for fresh fruits and vegetables from various local participating farmers markets in Orange and Sullivan counties.
To receive the produce vouchers, eligible participants must:
Participate in or be eligible for SNAP and Medicaid.
Live in Sullivan or Orange County.
Participate in (or complete) Garnet Health’s Diabetes Prevention Program or one of the approved nutrition or physical activity classes offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension Sullivan County.
The goals of the FreshRx Produce Prescription Program are to:
·Improve health outcomes in Sullivan and Orange counties through increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.
·Reduce individual and household food insecurity.
·Reduce health care use and associated costs.
“Access to food plays such a vital role in living a healthy lifestyle. But those who face food insecurity are often forced to choose between food and other essentials,” said Moira Mencher, director of planning and community relations for Garnet Health. “With this program, we want to remove barriers, allowing community members easier access to healthy foods like fruits and vegetables from our local farmers, while also teaching [participants] how to maintain healthy habits.”
The FreshRx Produce Prescription Program is made possible by the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP). Funded through the United States Department of Agriculture, GusNIP provides grants on a competitive basis to projects that help low-income consumers access and purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
Visit sullivancce.org/food-nutrition/rx-program for more information about the FreshRx Program or available classes.
For those with prediabetes who are interested in learning more, visit Garnet Health’s Diabetes Prevention Program at www.garnethealth.org/diabetesprevention.