WVU outreach program recognized for expanding food access and supporting local farmers in West Virginia
A West Virginia University Health Sciences outreach program is receiving national recognition for the way it helps provide fresh, locally grown produce to patients in need while promoting wellness and supporting local farmers.
Originally launched in 2018, Farm to You is a mobile program that hosts pop-up farmers' markets at participating WVU Medicine clinics in the Eastern Panhandle twice per month from May through October. The markets distribute produce delivered by local farmers that morning, allowing patients to build a diet tailored to their restrictions and preferences. Each of the produce items offered comes with a quick, easy healthy recipe handout for patients to utilize for meal planning.
Farm to You was recently featured in a new storytelling project published by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Center for Health Justice, titled Rooted Resilience: How farmers of color are reshaping the food system with their communities.
The storytelling map features highlights of several collaborations between academic health systems and local farmers, community growers and regional food producers that expand food access, strengthen local food economies and integrate nourishment into patient care, and includes WVU’s Farm to You Program.
“Farm to You is a perfect example of the power of collaboration; bringing together the strengths of our community, our hospitals and our medical school to improve the overall health and wellness of our patients, while also providing crucial support to the growth of our local farms,” said Emma Eggleston, MD, MPH, associate vice president for Community Health Innovation at WVU Health Sciences. “We are honored to be featured in this piece by the AAMC, alongside so many other wonderful initiatives that empower local patients and farmers.”
Farm to You now serves eight clinics across two Eastern Panhandle counties, providing fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables to more than 450 patients per month. The program will soon expand beyond the Eastern Panhandle, thanks to a recent collaboration with the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute in Morgantown.
Over the past eight years, Farm to You has hosted 420 events and generated more than $237,000 in funding for local West Virginia Farms. In addition to the pop-up markets, Farm to You hosts a variety of events for community members such as live cooking demonstrations, nutrition education events and cooking classes. These events are often led and supported by medical student volunteers who are enrolled in the WVU School of Medicine’s Culinary and Lifestyle Medicine Track.
The program is led by Program Coordinator Amanda Tomlin, and is supported by a major United States Department of Agriculture grant.
“I’ve been with this program for more than three years now, and it has been life-changing to see the growth and participation increase so much over time,” Tomlin said. “It has been such a joy to teach people about local ingredients as they try new things through recipes, conversations and cooking demonstrations, while also providing crucial support to our West Virginia farmers.”
Patients with specific health conditions and nutrition needs can be referred to Farm to You by their healthcare provider through a “food prescription.” Once formally enrolled in the program, these patients receive reserved produce at each event and agree to participate regularly from March through December.
Additionally, an amount of produce is available at each market for any patients who receive care at one of the eight participating Farm to You clinics, allowing the program to provide support for patients who did not receive a direct referral from their physician.
To learn more about Farm to You, including how you can become involved and the list of participating clinics, visit farmtoyouwv.org.
To view the storytelling feature that includes a highlight of Farm to You, visit the AAMC Center for Health Justice website.