Produce Prescription Programs

Produce Prescription Programs support healthy behavior change for individuals and families through partnerships with healthcare and other providers who focus on supporting healthy eating – like farmers and farmers markets. Programs are commonly aimed at improving health outcomes for low-income patients with diet-related chronic diseases.

Despite growing evidence of the health benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption, only about 12 percent of adults in the United States consume the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) minimum recommended amount of fruits (one and a half to two cups per day), and only 9 percent consume the recommended amount of vegetables (two to three cups per day) (CDC Newsroom 2017). Produce Prescription (PPR) Programs are one potential solution to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, especially among low-income populations suffering from chronic health conditions.

Over the course of the last seven years, MIFMA has supported current and potential programs, partners, and funders in the implementation of PPR programming. As a statewide, member-based association working to advance farmers markets, MIFMA continues to observe extensive growth in the number, size, and scope of programs in Michigan; starting from the Washtenaw County Prescription for Health program in 2008 and expanding to more than twenty individual programs across the state by 2021. MIFMA’s intention in this work is to lift up innovation and promising practices and share lessons learned from the wide variety of programs in Michigan and to advance solutions to common needs identified by the field of PPR program implementers, partners, and champions.

Statewide Learning Network

Here at the Michigan Farmers Market Association, we are working to build a statewide network of individuals and organizations implementing or working with Produce Prescription Programs. The PPR Statewide Learning Network was developed out of a shared desire to help programs grow, mature, and gain a better understanding of the impact such programs can have on community health and the local food system. The Network aims to bring together partners to discuss a wide range of topics such as evaluation, redemption, implementation, funding, sustainability, and much more. A current focus for the Statewide Learning Network is to create sustainable funding models for this intervention through private insurance coverage and/or Medicaid or Medicare expansion.

Produce Prescription Programs Statewide Learning Network Snapshot

If you would like to be added to the contact list for quarterly meetings, please email office@mifma.org and include Produce Prescription Programs Statewide Learning Network in the subject line.

Evaluation Tools

In 2017, MIFMA and Public Sector Consultants developed a set of standardized self-evaluation surveys based on an in-depth review of then-current PPR evaluation tools. Since 2017, the surveys have been updated to improve ease of use, reduce respondent burden, and align with national and state funders’ priorities. The evaluation tools are intended to streamline and standardize data collection across Michigan Produce Prescription (PPR) programs. Using these survey tools and sharing results will help MIFMA analyze PPR program progress and outcomes statewide.

The standardized evaluation tools created include a pre-participation survey, post-participation survey, and complementary data sharing agreement. The tools are designed to be self-administered by the program participant. To access this tool, reach out to office@mifma.org.

Reports and Publications

Through the Statewide Learning Network, MIFMA has been able to create a space for ongoing peer-to-peer learning across programs and has been able to foster growth, collaboration, and idea generation across the state. Based on learnings from this Network, MIFMA has created several resources including:

In 2016 MIFMA inventoried the programs in operation across the state and published: Prescription for Health Programs in Michigan: An Overview and Summary of Best Practices
MIFMA partnered with Public Sector Consultants (PSC) to research and examine the health impacts of fruit and vegetable consumption, potential healthcare cost savings from adequate consumption, the barriers to and possible cost benefits of increasing consumption, and the possible impact of Produce Prescription Programs on fruit and vegetable consumption and overall health. In 2021, MIFMA and PSC published Produce Prescription Programs: Health Impacts of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption.

Given the growth in the number of PPR programs inventoried since 2016, MIFMA worked to collect data from over 20 programs operating between 2017 – 2021 and published the following complimentary reports:

In 2022, MIFMA published The Landscape of Produce Prescription Programs in Michigan to raise awareness of the diverse set of programs operating throughout the state highlighting size, scope, and key partnerships among programs.
MIFMA worked with PSC to analyze the financial data collected to perform a descriptive assessment and examine the annual average cost per participant of Michigan PPR programs. In 2022, MIFMA and PSC published Produce Prescription Programs 2017-2021: Descriptive Assessment and Cost Analysis of Michigan’s Programs.

Getting Started

To learn more about how to start a Produce Prescription Program in your community, MIFMA recommends the following:

Prescription for Health Program Implementation Guide developed by the Washtenaw County Health Department
Join MIFMA’s Statewide Learning Network which brings together programs, partners, funders, markets, etc. across the state to advance PPR programs in Michigan
Browse MIFMA’s reports and publications to become familiar with current Michigan PPR programs operations and models, partnerships involved, and best practices.