Field and Fork Network, Inc.

Produce prescription programs are Food Is Medicine (FIM) interventions that connect food-insecure individuals who have chronic diseases to fresh produce. Under these programs, a medical professional writes a prescription for specific foods tailored to a patient’s health needs. In conjunction with nutrition counseling and education, patients can then use these prescriptions at food retail sites and farmers markets to obtain fresh fruits and vegetables for free. In 2024, NYHealth awarded Field and Fork Network, Inc. (FFN) a grant to launch a produce prescription program that will improve food security, increase participants’ fruit and vegetable consumption, and improve health outcomes.  

Under this grant, FFN will develop and launch a produce prescription pilot in Niagara Falls, NY. In partnership with Catholic Health’s Mount St. Mary’s Neighborhood Health Center (Catholic Health), it will enroll 150 food-insecure patients who have Type 2 diabetes or hypertension . FFN will identify implementation and evaluation models based on a needs assessment it conducted with the New York State Department of Health and with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture produce prescription community of practice. FFN will collaborate with local stakeholders to design and implement the program, providing Catholic Health with both electronic and paper-based produce coupons to fulfill produce prescriptions. Local retailers will supply fresh produce, while the Create a Healthier Niagara Falls Collaborative will deliver nutrition education workshops and conduct community outreach. FFN and Catholic Health will assess the program’s impact through data analysis and participant evaluations and, based on findings, consider scaling the model to other regions.