05/11/2026
Fresh food access and nutrition can play an important role in overall health and chronic disease management.
Thank you to Thrive Umpqua for sharing more about the VeggieRx program and its work connecting community members with fresh produce and local resources across Douglas County.
Surrounded by fresh produce and healthy options at the Umpqua Valley Farmer’s Market, we are reminded how true it is that food is medicine!
In fact, hundreds of participants have expressed benefits of VeggieRx, a simple and effective program that connects the medical system and the food sector. By creating a relationship between clinic staff, their patients, local farmers and family-owned stores, Thrive Umpqua is making the healthy choice the easy choice.
The VeggieRx program is designed to address food insecurity and chronic illness by increasing the accessibility to, and consumption of, fresh fruits and vegetables. The program empowers health care providers to ‘prescribe’ produce to community members who screen positive for food insecurity and/or chronic illness.
Participants then ‘fill’ their prescriptions at participating sites, coming home with more fresh produce to supplement their diet.
If you have any questions about this growing program, feel free to reach out to [email protected]