Food Pharmacy with Erin Martin (USA)
In this inspiring episode of the Regenerative Healthcare Podcast, we spoke with Erin Martin, founder and director of FreshRx, an innovative food pharmacy program based in Oklahoma, USA (and HarvestCare advisor). With a background in gerontology and years of experience in healthcare, Erin has pioneered a transformative approach to community health by connecting regenerative agriculture with chronic disease prevention and management.
Food Pharmacy: Bridging Healthcare and Agriculture
A food pharmacy is a program that provides patients with access to fresh, nutrient-dense foods, along with nutritional education, cooking demonstrations, and lifestyle support. The concept is rooted in the idea that food is medicine, addressing chronic health issues by treating the root causes rather than the symptoms.
Erin’s FreshRx program sources exclusively from local regenerative farmers, ensuring that patients receive food grown with practices that restore soil health and boost nutrient density. This approach not only improves patient outcomes but also supports sustainable farming and strengthens local food systems.
Participants in FreshRx receive biweekly boxes of fresh produce, along with access to classes on cooking, nutrition, and stress management. By integrating food and community support into healthcare, the program empowers individuals to make lasting changes in their diet and lifestyle making them a pivotal part of public health strategies worldwide.
A Financial Model for Farmers in Regenerative Healthcare
The integration of healthcare savings into the FreshRx model provides a unique opportunity to support regenerative farmers financially. Chronic disease management, particularly diabetes, costs healthcare systems billions annually. Programs like FreshRx demonstrate that reducing a patient’s A1C levels by 1–2% can save $16,000–$24,000 per patient in healthcare costs each year.
This financial impact creates a compelling business case for investing in regenerative farming. By directing even a fraction of these savings into local food systems, healthcare payers and funders can incentivize farmers to adopt sustainable practices. For farmers, this provides a stable and reliable market for their produce, enabling them to scale production and reinvest in their land.
By aligning healthcare goals with agricultural incentives, food pharmacies like FreshRx ensure that farmers are paid fair prices for their nutrient-dense, regenerative produce while delivering measurable health outcomes for patients. This dual benefit fosters a win-win scenario where healthcare cost savings drive agricultural sustainability and community well-being.
Launching a Food Pharmacy: Key Steps
If you’re inspired by Erin’s work, here are some steps to consider when starting your own food pharmacy:
Secure Funding: Identify sources of funding, such as grants, local foundations, or partnerships with healthcare organizations.
Engage Stakeholders: Build a coalition of healthcare providers, farmers, community leaders, and policymakers.
Source Locally: Partner with local regenerative farmers to ensure a consistent supply of nutrient-dense food.
Develop Educational Programs: Include cooking demonstrations, nutrition education, and behavioral support for participants.
Measure Impact: Track key health outcomes, such as weight, blood sugar levels, and quality of life, to demonstrate success and refine the program.
Erin's inspiration in Europe
Thanks to Erin’s tireless work, we were inspired and guided to bring the first Food Pharmacy to Rotterdam, Nethalrds. We started our work back in 2023 and will launch a Randomised Control Trial with diabetes type 2 patinets in 2025.
We partnered up with Erasmus Medical Center to facilitate the medical study and with Ledein University to test the nutrient density of some of the produce we are procuring for our patinets.
Mission
Our mission is to spread the best practices of pioneers from around the world who successfully connected local regenerative and organic farmers to the public, communities, and health institutions.
Do you know prisoners we should make our voices heard? Send us an email at zuzanna@harvestcare.eu