Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** fairview health services proposes…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** fairview health services proposes to open two new veggierx sites at low-income communities in minneapolis and saint paul that have high cultural and racial diversity and individuals with food insecurity and diet-related chronic conditions. The two healthcare sites will each enroll 18 participants per season, for a total of 108 participants over three years. Targeted participants experience food insecurity and diet-related disease and are members of underrepresented populations. Veggierx will provide them with community-supported agriculture (CSA) boxes weekly for ~24 weeks (growing season in minnesota). The growers will be local somali/east african, hmong, and latino farmers who will provide culturally appropriate produce to the participants. The objectives are to show that participants (1) find the food to be culturally appropriate and sufficient to prevent hunger, (2) increase their fruit and vegetable consumption, (3) improve their health, and (4) reduce their utilization of healthcare. To further reduce food insecurity, a food resource navigator will assist participants in applying for government food programs and will connect them to community resources as appropriate. The program will provide virtual cooking demonstrations, a weekly newsletter with recipes, educational handouts, and a farm tour and community meal. Veggierx addresses the gusnip goals of improving dietary health through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, reducing food insecurity, and reducing healthcare costs. The project team will evaluate impact with special attention to the benefits of providing culturally appropriate foods and coupling the food distribution with resource navigation and nutrition education.