Gorge Grown Food Network's Veggie Rx Program

Oregon

Gorge Grown Food Network's "Veggie Rx" is a fruit and vegetable prescription program designed to address food insecurity and increase intake of fresh produce. The program empowers health care and social services providers to ‘prescribe’ vouchers to community members who screen positive for food insecurity. Recipients can use the vouchers to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at any one of 30 local groceries, farms stands or farmers markets.

Partner Organizations

• Over 35 regional health care and social service providers screen participants for program eligibility.
• Over 30 retail locations and farmers markets in the Columbia Gorge region redeem vouchers.
• Oregon State University provides nutrition and cooking classes to participants.

Target Population

Community members who can answer "yes" to one or both of the following screening questions:

• In the last 12 months, did you and the people you live with worry that you would run out of food before you were able to get more?
• In the last 12 months did you and the people you live with run out of food before you were able to get more?

Care Team

Referring healthcare and social service providers

Timeframe

2015 - present

Results/ Studies

Program evaluation (2016)

Focus group results (2015)

Funding

State and federal Medicaid funds

Resources

Program website