Harvest Home Farmers Market

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. However, stark disparities persist by race and ethnicity, and communities of color experience disproportionately high rates of food insecurity and diet-related disease. The communities most affected by these disparities often have the best solutions to improving food equity. However, systemic barriers often exist, and historically, organizations led by people of color have not had equal access to or benefited from traditional philanthropy funds and resources. In 2024, NYHealth issued an inaugural Request for Proposals (RFP), “Healthy Food, Healthy Lives: Supporting a More Equitable Food System,” to advance racial health equity in the food system. NYHealth awarded Harvest Home Farmer’s Market (Harvest Home) a grant to participate in this initiative. 

Under this grant, Harvest Home will create awareness of an underused medical insurance benefit for Medicare and Medicaid recipients to receive farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. Most medical insurance companies offer dual Medicare and Medicaid recipients a monthly cash allotment, between $100 and $250 per month, to enrolled participants for over-the-counter (OTC) purchases of health-related items. However, many eligible people—especially seniors with limited English proficiency and residents of underserved communities—are unaware that OTC benefits can be used to purchase food. Harvest Home will launch a marketing campaign to promote the use of OTC benefits at its 14 farmers markets in New York City; collaborate with local pharmacies and other retailers to create greater awareness; and leverage its network with community partners and health care providers to connect participants to its OTC program. 

See a full list of grantees working to advance racial health equity in the food system.