For almost a decade now, the Aspirus Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program has been helping people get better access to fruits and vegetables that may not have been a regular part of their diet.
Tara Draeger is the Aspirus System Director of Community Health and Equity. She says part of the motivation for the program was changing how people saw hospitals— Not just a place to go when you get sick, but a place to prevent sickness.
“We want to connect our patients with local produce, support the farmers, and get our patients eating better,” said Draeger. “Why not write a prescription and see if that motivates people to attend the farmers markets and start eating healthy, and start talking about what is this vegetable, and how can I make it, and how do I prepare it for my family?”
Since 2016, the program has expanded to 30 farmers markets in Michigan, Minnesota, and the U.P. The new additions to the Aspirus FVRx program this year are Park Falls, Marathon City, Owen, Crandon and the Stevens Point Outdoor market in Wisconsin.
Qualifying patients will get vouchers they can use at any of the participating markets.
Draeger says this has been an especially important program in food deserts.
“The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the less pre-packaged food you're probably going to eat,” said Draeger. “Then it's powerful for families to model healthy behaviors, right? If the parent is getting a voucher and they're bringing home fruits and vegetables, the kids are then eating that and they're building those lifelong habits of good nutrition.”
Draeger says that program is focused on higher risk patients as funding for it is dependent on grants and donations.
While it’s helping people eat healthier, Draeger says it’s also helping support local farmers at the markets.
“Really connecting them with their local farmer to understand where their fruits and vegetables are grown, and how they tell if it's ripe, and how they prepare it and how they cook it for their family. It’s really powerful,” said Draeger.
Eating at least five cups of fruits and vegetables daily is a proven way to help prevent type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.
WXPR has been bringing you recipes to try with produce you’ll find at local farmers markets as part of our Rooted Up North series.
Below you’ll find a recipe for Grilled Vegetables and Pasta from Buffy’s Northwoods Kitchen. You can find more recipes in past episodes of Rooted Up North, linked below.
Grilled Vegetables and Pasta
Ingredients:
1 bell pepper, rough chopped and seeded
1 pound grape tomatoes
1 small zucchini, cut into chunks
1 red onion, quartered and separated
8 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and rough chopped
Olive Oil
Italian Seasoning
Granulated Garlic
Salt and Pepper
1 pound pasta of your choice, cooked and kept warm
Fresh basil for garnish
Directions
Light grill. While waiting for the grill to be ready, start the pasta and prep all the vegetables. Place in a large container. Coat the vegetables well with olive oil. Season well with Italian Seasoning, Granulated Garlic, Salt and Pepper.
When grill has reached temp place the vegetables in one layer on a perforated grill pan and place over the hot grill. Cover, stirring every few minutes to allow the vegetables to cook but not burn to bits. Some charring is great, too much is no good.
When vegetables are grilled to desired doneness remove from the grill and place in a large bowl, top with the hot pasta and toss to evenly mix together
Top the pasta with parmesan if desired.
Yield: 8-10 side servings 4-6 entrée servings
Below is a map of local farmers markets. Please note that not all of the markets participate in the Aspirus Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program. For a list of participating markets, visit the Aspirus website.
