While this stark message and supporting data about the health consequences of our current food system are shocking , let ’ s drop down from the 35,000 foot level to what is real — real to local farmers , real to each of us .

I got to know Ms . Rivas this spring when she first enrolled in Community FarmShare ’ s “ Food Is Medicine ” program . Three years ago , she came to the United States and settled in Silver Spring with her two children . She works two part-time jobs while also taking English classes which makes childcare and accessing social services and food resources challenging . Within soon after her arrival , her rent increased and she had to make difficult choices : either buy healthy , more expensive food , or save every possible dollar to stay in their apartment . Back in Honduras , their family bought fresh food at the village market every day ; now , the shift to the Standard American Diet of low-cost , processed convenience foods has led to her pre-diabetes condition and her children , ages 9 and 12 , already show signs of obesity .

On the other end of the county , one of Community Farm- Share ’ s produce delivery volunteers shared : “ Francisco lives in a trailer in the not-seen corner of a commodities farm in the Ag Reserve . His old refrigerator sits outside his trailer , which makes it easy to drop off the weekly produce bags . Nearby is a wobbly stack of canned goods . He ’ s never home when I drop off his bag and

we haven ’ t met . But I know he is diabetic ; I also know that each week , the fresh vegetables delivered are gone . And , those same high sodium , low nutrient canned goods are still stacked outside the fridge each week .” Unfortunately , stories like these are not rare . These people are our neighbors and represent too many people ’ s daily reality in Montgomery County .		cial services . The clinic “ prescribed ” food for families with malnourished children — to be purchased from Black-owned groceries — and the bills were paid out of the center ’ s pharmacy budget . The governor complained , and a federal official was sent to Mound Bayou to scold Dr . Geiger for misusing pharmacy funds , which , the official said , were meant to cover drugs to treat disease .
“ Yeah ,” Dr . Geiger replied ,
What is Food Is Medicine ?		“ Well , the last time I looked in my
medical textbooks , they said the
Food Is Medicine presents a variety of programs and interventions in healthcare and population health to integrate food-based nutrition interventions at multiple levels for specific health needs of different focus populations . The idea behind it is not new , but one that has gained momentum since the		specific therapy for malnutrition was food .” Poor nutrition is now the leading cause of poor health in the US with the majority of adult hospitalizations attributable to one of four pre-existing conditions : obesity , hypertension , diabetes , and heart failure . People with low incomes suffer disproportionately
2022 White House Conference on Hunger Nutrition and Health , which created opportunities for policies and innovative programs to address health disparities and healthy food access . At that	Poor nutrition is now the leading cause of poor health in the US . People with low incomes suffer disproportionately from chronic health conditions and have fewer resources to manage their diseases due to the high cost of healthy foods and psychosocial impacts of food insecurity .		from these chronic conditions and have fewer resources to manage their diseases due to the high cost of healthy foods and psychosocial impacts of food insecurity . For people managing diet-related chronic conditions , poor diet quality exacerbates
conference , one presenter shared a historical account of Dr . Geiger ’ s work in Mississippi in 1967 . Dr . Geiger , who started a clinic and treated the sick , also used grant money to dig wells and privies , as well as set up a library , farm cooperative , office of education , high-school equivalency program , and other soing		health inequities by increas- disease complications . These complications spike when financial resources are scarce , increasing hospitalizations and emergency room visits and leading to higher healthcare costs . In 2021 , Community FarmShare shifted our focus from food security

28 plenty I autumn Harvest 2023

PLENTY Magazine PLENTY - Autumn Harvest 2023 | Page 28

While this stark message and supporting data about the health consequences of our current food system are shocking , let ’ s drop down from the 35,000 foot level to what is real — real to local farmers , real to each of us .