Fresh food as medicine: County grant helps local families combat hunger and chronic Illness

Hundreds of local Montgomery County families coping with both tight budgets and chronic illness are about to get fresh, farm-grown food delivered right to their tables. 

Through a newly expanded $750,000 county initiative, lower-income residents suffering from conditions like diabetes and hypertension will soon receive months of free, medically tailored meals alongside direct support to help them stay healthy.

The Office of Food Systems Resilience, or OFSR, and the Office of Grants Management, or OGM, will fund six major partnerships linking healthcare providers, local farms, and community nonprofits. The initiative is expected to help at least 450 Montgomery County households over the next 12 months.

The Food as Medicine grant program offers us an easy way to provide nutritious produce to communities that really need it,” Mike Protas, owner of One Acre Farm, wrote in a statement.  

“Our other sales outlets meet a different audience, one for whom food insecurity is rarely, if ever, a concern. Thus, this program helps us to expand our reach and allows the benefits of the food we grow to reach more people. It is also a steady presence throughout the summer and fall to which we know we can direct 600 to 1,000 pounds of produce weekly,” he added.

To qualify for the program, participants must reside in the county, have at least one child age 18 or younger at home, and screen positive for both food insecurity and a chronic diet-related illness.

Beyond receiving four to six months of recurring food assistance, participating families will gain access to nutrition classes designed to teach affordable, healthy meal preparation. 

Adventist HealthCare, AfriThrive, Holy Cross Health, Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington, Mansfield Kaseman Health Clinic, and Mobile Medical Care are teaming up with regional clinics, educators, and farms. 

During fiscal year 2025, grantees sourced between 40% and 80% of their medically relevant food from area farms, yielding more than 122,831 pounds of locally grown produce for families in need.

That local connection will continue through fiscal year 2026. 

Partners like Community FarmShare, which works with more than 25 county farms, and One Acre Farm in Dickerson will drive distribution.

The Korean Community Service Center of Greater Washington is partnering with Lotte Plaza Market to provide market vouchers, allowing patients to select culturally familiar, medically appropriate foods directly. 

"We are sincerely grateful for Montgomery County's investment in this initiative, which has made it possible for us, in partnership with Lotte Market, to expand access to culturally familiar, medically appropriate foods and advance health equity," Ji-Young Cho, director of Korean Community Services of Greater Washington, wrote.  

Throughout the year, OFSR will gather continuous data on participant screenings, food delivery, and educational outcomes, paired with pre- and post-program participant surveys. Results will be shared on the OFSR website.

OFSR Director Heather Bruskin said connecting healthcare providers, residents, non-profits, and small businesses builds long-term resilience.

“These partnerships create direct connections between our county’s healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations, residents, and farms,” Bruskin said. “This puts nutritious food on families’ tables today, while strengthening community health, food production, and small businesses for a brighter future.”