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Wednesday, September 25, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Commentary...
Fresh Food Farmacy program changes lives
Seed to Table Executive Director
The limitations to having
extremely high blood pres-
sure were crippling for local
Sisters resident Brian (name
changed for anonymity).
Having to take six medica-
tions a day had become nor-
mal. Brian9s blood pressure
was often recorded at danger-
ous levels, which had led him
to five emergency room visits
in 2018.
The doctor was so con-
cerned that Brian had a home
monitoring system directly
connected to the doctor9s
office, reporting readings on
an hourly basis. Although
doctors had recommended a
diet richer in fresh fruits and
vegetables, Brian and his wife
simply did not know how to
cook and use more fresh
foods in their diet. In addi-
tion, the bills were already
maxed out.
The six-year norm
changed over the course of
the past four months after
their physician guided the
couple to join Seed to Table9s
new Fresh Food Farmacy
program. Brian now enjoys
his morning, only having to
take one of his previous six
medications to control his
blood pressure. And no, it
was not one super pill that
Brian had to switch to. In fact
it was going back to basics
of switching meals from pro-
cessed freezer meals to Seed
to Table9s fresh fruits and
vegetables, and Splitting Aces
Ranch9s lean, pasture raised
meats.
About three years ago, Dr.
Kevin Miller of High Lakes
Health Care and myself were
having an inspired conversa-
tion about the power of fresh
vegetables. As a physician
Dr. Miller emphasizes peo-
ple9s diets are a major foun-
dation for maintaining and
improving their health. Miller
expressed how the growing
body of research supports
the idea that when people
eat well, they stay healthier
and are more likely to control
chronic diseases and perhaps
even avoid them altogether.
A healthy diet isn9t as easy as
popping a pill, it takes time,
resources and dedication to
switch habits. Thus, the idea
sparked for Seed to Table
to launch the Fresh Food
Farmacy; where patients are
<prescribed= by their doc-
tor to join a Seed to Table
Produce Share and receive
22 weeks of fresh veggies
with guided recipes, cooking
classes and support.
<When you prioritize food
and teach people how to pre-
pare healthy meals, lo and
behold, it can end up being
more impactful than medica-
tions themselves,= says Dr.
Jaewon Ryu, interim presi-
dent and CEO of Geisinger
Health Systems. <That9s a big
win.=
Using food as medicine,
the Fresh Food Farmacy
(FFF) is designed to improve
healthy eating habits and or
help alleviate food insecu-
rity for individuals. The FFF
provides individuals with 22
weeks of farm fresh produce
(either subsidized or at no
cost), support and cooking/
nutrition resources.
Seed to Table launched the
program this year, partnering
with Bend Memorial Clinic
and High Lakes Health Care
to involve up to 15 patients
in the program. Participants
range in symptoms from type
II diabetes, arthritis, weight,
and simply a lack of access
to fresh foods hindering their
families9 health. Physicians
have seen that Seed to Table
is a valuable starting place to
connect the resource of nutri-
tious foods, resources and
community support.
Dr. May Fan of Bend
Memorial Clinic stated, <I
really appreciate being able
to 8prescribe9 healthy foods
instead of prescribing medi-
cation. Seed to Table9s Fresh
Food Farmacy addresses the
barrier of cost and connects
our community to our local
growers.=
So what exactly does the
Fresh Food Farmacy look
like? Patients do not arrive
to a waiting room, but a
quaint produce stand set back
against fields of deep green
vegetables. Seed to Table9s
education coordinator, Aude
Girin, greets each patient in
the open air. Vegetables of the
week are introduced, along
with recipes and weekly
nutrition tips. Weekly check-
ins are informal conversations
about challenges individuals
face in regards to using an
entire bunch of kale in one
week, or how to create larger
flavors with fresh herbs rather
than salt.
Participants receive
around 600 pounds of fresh
veggies over the course of six
months.
The program incorporates
monthly classes to learn prac-
tical skills to create healthy
and sustainable lifestyle
changes, weekly educational
resources, and personalized
check-in support. Learning
valuable cooking skills,
healthy-eating tips, practical
recipes, and more are coupled
with health monitoring from
their doctors throughout the
program.
<Without Seed to Table9s
Fresh Food Farmacy, I would
not be able to afford to eat
fresh foods every week,= said
one participant. <The weekly
vegetable pick-up has really
helped me financially and has
helped me with managing my
diabetes.=
The program has been
a huge success, and we are
thrilled to offer it. The sto-
ries are powerful. We hope to
expand our impact, so indi-
viduals in similar positions to
Brian and his family can get a
piece of their life back.
Seed to Table intern
Skyler Wilkins
harvesting
cauliflower for
Fresh Food Farmacy.
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