Program to Bring Healthy Food to Low-Income Diabetics

Healthy food will be more readily available to those suffering with diabetes thanks to a new Fruit & Veggie Prescription Program which will provide more than $100,000 in food vouchers along with nutritional workshops and other support to low-income residents, the program’s local sponsor, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, announced last week.

“This program represents an innovative partnership among healthcare providers, organic produce suppliers, nutritionists, and educators that bridges the gap between low-income diabetes patients in Suffolk County and the wholesome food they need for more successful treatment,” the cooperative extension said.

The program was first rolled out in Brentwood where residents can receive vouchers toward the purchase of healthful food products at designated produce markets after they attend a nutrition workshop about the health value of fresh produce for the treatment of diabetes, according to Cornell spokesman Mark Grossman. The project will be expanded to all of Suffolk over the next few months, Grossman said, and many participating markets will be added.

The Fruit & Veggie program was funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program and is designed to boost consumption of healthful, fresh, locally grown produce by low-income diabetics in the county.

Approximately 150,000 Suffolk residents have diabetes, according to Cornell, and fresh fruits and vegetables–especially organic produce–deliver proven health benefits for the management of the disease. The vouchers can also be used for the purchase of selected canned and frozen products.

Established in 1917, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County is a non-profit community education agency that works to preserve the county’s agricultural resources, marine life and full range of eco-systems, support families, provide community service opportunities for youth, and advance research-based education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). More information is available at http://ccesuffolk.org/.

The nutrition incentive program was named for Gus Schumacher, a former Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the Department of Agriculture where he oversaw the Farm Service Agency, Foreign Agricultural Service, and the Risk Management Agency.

He also served as administrator of the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service, a senior agri-lender for the World Bank, and Commissioner of Food and Agriculture for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Following a life-long passion to connect people in need with healthy food, Schumacher was Vice President of Policy with the Wholesome Wave Foundation of Westport, Connecticut and served on the boards of FreshFarm Markets in Washington DC, the Environmental Power Corporation, Tarrytown, New York, GrainPro, LLC of Concord, Massachusetts and Sustainable CAPE of Truro, Massachusetts.