Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program™ (FVRx™)

The Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program™ (FVRx™) fosters partnerships between healthcare providers and organizations working with farm-to-market retail venues to measure the health effects of increased consumption of fresh produce.

FVRx™ is designed to provide assistance to families at risk of developing obesity and other diet-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Data collection and analysis is a vital component of the program, and helps us distill best practices while providing “proof of concept” that helping people obtain the resources to purchase nutritious, fresh fruits and vegetables recommended by the medical community can improve health status.

Wholesome Wave first implemented a FVRx™ feasibility study in 2010 in partnership with Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited (CAVU). A total of 246 participants were served through work with three healthcare partners and a statewide network of farmers markets. Results indicated that the program had a significant effect on participants’ shopping and eating habits as well as on their knowledge about the importance of fruits and vegetables.

Wholesome Wave expanded the FVRx™ program during its 2011 pilot season to eight site: three in Massachusetts, two in Maine, two in California, and one in Rhode Island. Data collected emphasizes medical, rather than social, health indicators. Many of the measures included weight, Body Mass Index, and blood pressure, as well as farmers market data tracking prescription redemption and amount of produce purchased. The data is currently being aggregated and analyzed but the preliminary findings indicate the program had a positive impact on participants.

In addition to our goal of improving and tracking health outcomes, FVRx™ is designed to provide direct economic benefits to small and midsize farms and to bring additional resources into the local economies of underserved communities. Fruit and vegetable prescriptions are distributed by community healthcare providers and redeemed at participating farmers markets for fresh fruits and vegetables. Each dollar inested in the FVRx™ program pays forward threefold by nourishing the consumer, boosting the farmer’s revenues and uplifting the community as a whole.

Wholesome Wave is excited to continue to provide health centers and farmers markets with the opportunity to participate in the FVRx™ collaborative through further expanding our program reach. In 2012, we anticipate partnering with 10 to 15 sites throughout the country, building upon our lessons learned, including improved program guidelines and data collection in each community.

For more information on FVRx™, please email fvrx@wholesomewave.org