SNAP-Ed New York offers Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program to Support Patients and Local Farmers
From Steuben County Cornell Cooperative Extension,
(Bath, NY) – Food as medicine is a method that is being practiced by the SNAP-Ed Southern Finger Lakes Region to combat chronic disease and food insecurity in the region. In the Southern Finger Lakes Region, almost 10% of residents struggle with food security and 35% of residents report consuming less than one fruit or vegetable daily. Finger Lakes residents lack access to the nutritious foods they need to support a healthy lifestyle. They rely on nutrient-lacking foods that are cheap and quick but can increase the risk of chronic disease. The SNAP-Ed team’s goal is to educate residents, so they make healthy but affordable choices in what they consume.
The SNAP-Ed Southern Finger Lakes Region partners with several healthcare providers to find residents who meet the criteria for needing increased access to fruits and vegetables to help prevent or treat chronic disease. The SNAP-Ed team receives referrals from these providers after accessing the patients and seeing a need for the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription program for the patient.
The Fruit and Vegetable Prescription program (FVRx) began in 2019 and continues to provide valuable resources and education to participants in 2025. The FVRx program is a six-week series class where participants learn about healthy eating, cooking, and lifestyle skills and techniques. Along with the education the participants receive $20 in vouchers at each class for fresh produce to be used at participating local vendors. That is a total of $120 over six weeks, these vouchers help reinforce what is taught at each class.
Along with the educational information, Nutritionists provide cooking demonstrations with taste tests to improve cooking skills and allow participants to taste different produce. The range of produce used during the classes has allowed participants to broaden their taste in fruits and vegetables. Participants have quoted in past workshops that it was their first time eating some of the vegetables used in the recipes and they enjoyed it. Participants also stated how much they liked the recipes, some were even surprised by it, and intended to make them at home. These classes have allowed participants to widen their range of nutrient intake from new types of produce and recipes from these demonstrations.
The positive effects of the FVRx program have been measured through participant surveys and felt through testimonials from participants. Results from the 2024 FVRx series showed that 50% of participants reported eating more fruits and 68% of participants reported eating more vegetables now than they did before attending the nutrition classes. In addition, 62% of participants also reported being able to access more healthy foods following the completion of the series than before. Participants were also happy to comment on the program, one participant said “I learned so much. With the vouchers I picked up food I would not normally pick up. I think I am going to continue to pick up some of those vegetables”. Overall, the participants were very thankful for the opportunity to participate in the program.
Many local retailers participated in the program including The Windmill Farm and Craft Market (Penn Yan, NY), Windy Acres Farm (Penn Yan, NY), Indian Pines Farm Market (Penn Yan, NY), and Dave’s Produce (Bath, NY), Muddy Fingers Farm, Wegmans (Corning and Elmira, NY), Tops (Penn Yan, Bath, Elmira, and Big Flats NY), Save a Lot (Elmira and Bath, NY), Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben’s Veggie Van, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chemung County’s Veggie Van. In total, 81.47% of the distributed vouchers were redeemed, providing the local retailers with over $2,685 in produce sales.
SNAP-Ed New York – Southern Finger Lakes Region will continue this program through the next 5-year grant cycle and aims to serve a larger population by partnering with new healthcare providers and vendors. “Based on previous successes in the program from 2019-2024, we are confident this program has the potential to make a really positive impact in the overall health of our community.” states Justine Patterson, SNAP-Ed Project Director.
If you are a healthcare provide or produce vendor within the Finger Lakes region and are interested in becoming a partner, please contact Brooke Bloodgood, Regional Environmental Nutritionist, at (607) 664-2303 or bas375@cornell.edu.
About Cornell Cooperative Extension & SNAP-Ed New York:
Cornell Cooperative Extension and its partnerships provide programs for Steuben County residents on youth and family development; nutrition, health, and food safety; community and economic vitality; and agricultural sustainability through Cornell-based research. Committed to Steuben County, we design programs to meet local needs to enable people to improve their lives and communities. For more information call Cornell Cooperative Extension Steuben County at (607) 664-2300 or visit our website at PutKnowledgeToWork.org.
SNAP-Ed New York is a federally funded evidence-based program that helps people lead healthier lives. SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education is FREE to all individuals who qualify for and/or receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP-Ed teaches people using or eligible for SNAP about good nutrition, how to make their food dollars stretch further and the importance of being physically active. SNAP-Ed New York provides nutrition education lessons, materials, and sponsors education events and classes in communities across New York State. For more information call Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben County at (607) 664-2572 or visit the SNAP-Ed NY website at www.snapedny.org.
Locally, SNAP-Ed New York in the Southern Finger Lakes region operates under Cornell Cooperative Extension Steuben County, in partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chemung County, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schuyler County, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tioga County, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Yates County. The SNAP-Ed New York – Southern Finger Lakes region supports residents of Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, and Yates Counties.
