Lyndsey Brainerd has a master’s in public health and a passion for understanding the systemic and historical sources of health inequity, particularly relating to food security and social determinants of health. At Comfort Food Community (CFC), she manages two produce prescription programs, working with health care providers and local food producers to connect chronic illness patients who are food insecure with nutritious and local foods. She also helps facilitate wraparound services from other organizations and programs that address health-related social needs by providing resource navigation and referrals for clients across CFC programs.
What is Food as Medicine?
“Food as Medicine” refers to a set of nutrition-driven programs and interventions that seek to improve health outcomes among those who live with, or are at risk for, chronic health conditions such as diabetes or hypertension. Food as Medicine programs do this by fostering positive relationships with nutritious foods through improved access and education, whether it be providing food directly to participants following specific dietary requirements or providing vouchers to be spent on fresh food at the local farmers’ market. For me, the goal is to reduce the barriers to accessing nutritious, fresh foods (financial, geographic, informational, etc.) and empower participants to positively impact their own health and wellness through food.
What inspires you to run Food as Medicine programs at Comfort Food Community?
Having grown up in Cambridge, I feel a strong connection to rural NY, particularly Washington County, and a deep appreciation for the communities and farmers we work with. In my experience, there is a disconnect between the abundance of fresh, nutritious foods being produced in Washington County, and those in the community who are experiencing food insecurity, chronic illness, or both. There is huge potential for Food as Medicine to foster deeper connections between community members, for whom local food as been largely inaccessible, and local farmers. In doing so, we can build a more resilient food system, improve health outcomes, and break down barriers for a more close-knit community that nourishes everyone.
Based on your experience, what are the most significant systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity and health inequities in your community?
The high cost of food, high cost of living generally, lack of transportation, inaccessibility/insufficiency of SNAP and other support programs, lack of affordable, nutritious food options that are easy to get to, historic lack of prioritization of nutrition and preventive care amongst healthcare and insurance companies.
How do your programs address the factors that contribute to these inequities?
I manage a type of Food as Medicine program known as a Produce Prescription (PRx) Program. Currently, we offer three different types of PRx programs, but ultimately they all involve distributing vouchers that participants can use to purchase eligible food items at local farmers’ markets, farm stands, and grocery stores/co-ops. Vouchers help improve participants’ purchasing power and incentivizes the purchase of fresh, nutritious foods while maintaining participants’ autonomy of choice. The program also includes nutrition education opportunities and fosters connections to resources to support other health-related social needs. The list of participating vendors is diverse in terms of offerings, location (across Washington County and in parts of Saratoga and Warren counties), and hours of operation. Many also accept SNAP, WIC, and other State-run nutrition incentive programs. This year, we are hoping to continue building out the educational offerings and community building opportunities of the program through workshops, mentorship, etc.
What challenges have you faced in the organization and implementation of your Food as Medicine programs? How have you overcome these challenges?
Distance/transportation barriers, methods of voucher delivery, and the variability of hours of operation among smaller farmers’ markets and farms stands have all been challenges for these programs. For transportation barriers, we are mindful of continuing to enlist more and more participating vendors that have a variety of offerings, locations, and hours of operation to provide more accessible options to participants. Distributing vouchers to clients is also impacted by distance and transportation, so our strategies include on-site distribution at participating vendors (for example, Saratoga and Glens Falls Farmers’ Markets) and mailing vouchers directly to participants in the mail. The variability of hours among participating vendors is a challenge that we meet by providing educational materials and information about how to shop at these locations. Moving forward, we are looking to provide more direct information sharing and mentorship opportunities between program participants and staff, community members, and other participants to continue empowering community members to utilize these vouchers.
What are your hopes for the future of food as medicine, both in your community and more broadly?
My hopes for FAM are that these programs become a standard of care for healthcare and insurance providers, and that they continue to be funded and expanded upon in our community. As this happens, my hope is that there is a continued focus on not only making FAM more available, but centering the experience and knowledge of the community overall, and prioritizing deepening connections between participants and the local food system.
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