FARM Rx: Wholesome Wave Georgia’s place based Food for Health Program in Athens, Georgia.
Laraine’s Story
Laraine was born in south Florida in a small town near Miami. Both of her parents worked full-time throughout her childhood and her mother would spend weekday evenings at night school getting her masters degree in education; this left Laraine in charge of preparing most of her own meals. She recalls that many of these meals were either frozen or fast food. In middle school, she’d go to her best friend’s house for their family dinners; this is where she began to see food as more than just sustenance and nutrition, but as an opportunity for pleasure, communion, and intentionality.
She moved to south Atlanta as an adult and remembers how difficult it was to afford fresh produce. There were no nearby grocery stores, and the in-town food stores did not carry produce. Living in a food desert was not easy; she lost touch with what it means to eat intentionally and her health and wellbeing suffered. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommends fresh fruit and vegetable intake as part of a healthy dietary pattern to promote health, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and meet nutrient needs. However, a key barrier to fruit and vegetable intake is having limited access to fresh produce. In an Emory University study, researchers found that only 44% of the 150 randomly selected small food stores in Atlanta food deserts offered fresh produce.
When she got married, she was gifted a Good Housekeeping cookbook, from which she learned to really love and appreciate food. Laraine now has two teenage daughters who she raised to be brave and adventurous eaters; they enjoy brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes and cabbage, and often attend the market with her to pick out their favorite vegetables. Food, for Laraine, is a love language. Her kids help her cook dinner, and they all eat together at the dining room table. Because she did not have the luxury to see food as a means for connection and love during her childhood, she has made it an intention to share her love for her daughters through the food they cook and eat together.
Porch Chat Interviewer: What was your favorite thing about attending the farmers market?
Laraine: “I found a sense of community by talking to the farmers about what they were growing. I would try to spread my tokens between all the different farms, and I really love the
variety of conversations I had with each farmer. While I didn’t get to know many of the others participants, I really enjoyed being at the market and being around so much good food.”
Porch Chat Interviewer: Did you shop alone? Did you bring family members with you?
Laraine: “My kids loved coming with me to the market. They loved to pick out what vegetables they wanted to eat that week, and they especially loved the jungle-striped peanuts from Sundance farm. Even after the program ended, my kids will come grocery shopping with me because they want to choose what they’re eating.”
Porch Chat Interviewer: I remember that you’d often double your SNAP in addition to getting your FARM Rx tokens. What was that experience like?
Laraine: “Being able to double my SNAP at the market has made it possible for me to continue shopping at the market after the program ended. I recently got employed and lost my SNAP benefits, but I still enjoy coming to shop at the farmers market. I just have to be thoughtful about what I’m buying because it can get pretty expensive. I wish I could do the program again!”
About FARM Rx
FARM Rx is the Athens-based Food for Health program that works in partnership with Wholesome Wave Georgia, St. Mary’s Hospital, and the Athens Farmers Market. The program runs for eight months (April to November) and provides participants, and their families, with weekly allotments of tokens which they can use to purchase locally grown fruits, vegetables, and edible plants from the Athens Farmers Market. Participants also attend nutrition education classes that UGA SNAP-ED hosts. This program serves those suffering from food insecurity and diet-related illnesses, with the idea that improving both food access and nutrition education will improve participant’s health and overall quality of life.
About Wholesome Wave Georgia Food for Health
Wholesome Wage Georgia’s Food For Health promotes affordable access to produce and healthy eating in underserved communities through partnerships with healthcare providers, community organizations, and retailers. Healthcare providers give families innovative prescriptions that can be spent on fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets.
This Porch Chat was conducted and written by Maya Alandete.
The 2024 Athens Food for Health Program was made possible through the support of UnitedHealthcare’s Empowering Heath Grant.
