Fresh Bucks Rx: Prescribing a Trip to the Farmers Market
A new federally funded pilot program, “Fresh Bucks Rx,” allows medical providers to write a prescription for fruits and vegetables from farmers markets. The pilot was launched by the City of Seattle, Harborview Medical Center, and Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic along with Seattle and King County farmers markets, and aims to improve health outcomes for low-income patients with diet-related disease. An estimated one in seven Americans experiences food insecurity or the inability to access healthy food on a chronic or intermittent basis. Martha Baskin checked in with providers to bring us this story.
Shopping at Farmers Markets is an Act of Social Justice
According to the Washington State Farmers Market Alliance and Washington State University, 115 farmers markets in our region collectively bring in 44 million dollars. In our last farmers market segment, Development Manager Patrice Barrentine discusses how participating in these markets is an act of community building and social justice.
Small Scale Farms Seek Resources for Food Processing
In part three of our farmers market series, we look at the increase in small scale farms and some of the challenges they face. Smaller farms without the resources to butcher their meat or wash their eggs currently have to transport much of their produce and livestock to other counties or states in order to properly process them. But a local farm collective is exploring the shared use of a mobile slaughter house or processing plants, and partnerships with counties and the state seek to improve food processing services. King County Agriculture Policy and Economic Development Manager, Patrice Barrentine, spoke with Yuko Kodama about these improvements and why they matter.
Farming in a Changing Climate
Next in our series on farmers markets, we take a look at how our region’s farmers experience the effects of climate change. King County Agriculture Policy and Economic Development Manager, Patrice Barrentine, shares how climate change is altering our local food sources.
What Farmers Markets Mean to Small Farms
This week we’re highlighting local farmers markets! In our first segment, we take a look at small farms.
King County boasts 40 of the 170 state-wide farmers’ markets. Patrice Barrentine, King County Agriculture Policy and Economic Development Manager, shares what it takes to run a small farm growing food for the market today.
