Fresh Farmacy

Local Food Hub seeks to ensure that everyone, regardless of demographics or address, can easily access healthy local food. We launched the Fresh Farmacy: Fruit and Veggie Prescription Program to serve people with low food access and who are at risk for diet related illness. Through Fresh Farmacy, low-resource households receive biweekly shares of 6-9 locally and regionally sourced items, along with educational materials designed to empower participants in the kitchen.

In its first five years, the program partnered with six health clinics and served almost 300 people a year. In 2020, in response to the pandemic, we more than doubled the participants the program served, expanded the season, began providing shares weekly instead of biweekly, and offered home delivery. In 2022, the program leveled out at serving 435 participants on a biweekly basis.

Fresh Farmacy also serves as an important sales outlet for some of our smallest partner farms, which sell food to Local Food Hub for the shares.

2021 Activities

Deliveries: We partner with 4P Foods and Charlottesville Yellow Cab to pack and deliver shares.

Expansion: Local Food Hub is always open to expanding, pending funding. If you are interested in serving as a partner site for Fresh Farmacy, please email us at info@localfoodhub.org.

Support: We work with other food relief organizations to get fresh produce into emergency food programs, and continue to support school meal coordination and farm to school efforts.

Education: Each Fresh Farmacy bag includes educational materials that detail the produce items and farm sources, cooking and storage tips, and recipes. Materials are available in English and Spanish.

Long-term Access: We are working with farmers markets and food access partners to make fresh, healthy food more accessible and affordable, including the potential of expanded SNAP benefits at farmers markets and retailers.

Would you benefit from Fresh Farmacy? We rely on our partner sites to enroll participants, and do not directly enroll anyone. Current partners include the Southwood neighborhood, Westhaven Nursing Clinic, the UVA Children’s Hospital, and Sentara Starr Hill. If you have more questions about how you might access the program, please reach out!

Food Access

Fresh Farmacy

2021 Activities