​Food is Medicine interventions integrate nutritious food, through programs such as medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions, into clinical care to prevent and treat chronic, diet-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease. 

The Maryland Department of Health is currently funding opportunities for community organizations to implement the program, offering high-quality, culturally appropriate produce prescriptions to stem and prevent chronic disease and address food insecurity in high-poverty communities. ​

How It Works: ​

A produce prescription is a medical treatment for a diet-related condition, such as high blood pressure. Upon determining that produce (fruit and vegetables) are an appropriate and impactful intervention for a condition, a provider or other professional would “prescribe” produce to a patient. Through the prescribed medical nutrition - the patient will receive free produce to add to their daily meals. 

The State is currently establishing the program by looking to local leaders and stakeholders for the most impactful ways to implement ProduceRx to meet the needs of a particular community, with a focus on regions where high childhood poverty rates call for tailored, local solutions.

ProduceRX in Your Community: Request for Applications (RFA) 

The Maryland Department of Health is seeking applications to implement ProduceRx. The Department will fund programs and ideas from interested Maryland-based coalitions of nonprofit organizations, state and local government agencies, and academic institutions who operate in or serve ENOUGH communities.​

ENOUGH communities are defined as those with a child poverty rate greater than 30% and that overlap with the catchment area of a Maryland public school where the school poverty rate is 75% or higher. 

The $10 million fund will support program implementation for a two-year period. The application process is currently open and proposals are ​​due by August 17, 2026. Awards will be made early this fall. 

A PDF version of the RFA is available at: https://health.maryland.gov/AHEAD/docs/Produce%20Rx%20RFA%20FINAL.pdf​​​. 

The RFA is also available as a public notice on eMMA at https://emma.maryland.gov/page.aspx/en/bpm/process_manage_extranet/92558?uid=92177085-2655-49da-9e13-fcd3c22a9ff1​.

Please see the RFA for required application components and submission instructions.

This program is being funded by the MDH Population Health Improvement Fund (PHIF). The PHIF supports investments to reach improvements across key measures in the Population Health Accountability Plan (PHAP) under the AHEAD model. The Maryland Commission on Health Equity (MCHE) PHIF Subcommittee advised on the development of this RFA and will support the review of applications. ​

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Vendor Directory Sign-Up

Maryland is eager to help organizations and communities connect with service providers that can support Produce Rx efforts. To be listed in the Directory, please complete this form. The Directory will be posted on this page.

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