Fresh Food Pop-Up Market: A Strong Season
Fresh Produce, Every Last Friday
The connection between diet and lifestyle and good health is well documented. Much of the health coaching between our providers and patients centers on these important factors. Thanks to a grant from CareFirst, our patients with type 2 diabetes are benefiting from diabetes support workshops – a series of seven sessions to educate them about managing their type 2 diabetes. With this program we were fortunate to introduce a partnership with Arcadia Farm, a local nonprofit growing fresh foods locally to support food insecurity in our region.
From June through September, Arcadia Farm brought their pop-up market to our community for Friday Fresh Food Markets. Our patients participating in the diabetes workshops, as well as those meeting with our providers and nutritionists were issued Food Prescription Program referrals and given Produce & Protein Benefit “appointments” to attend the markets and select fresh produce, locally sourced protein and dairy. Patients enjoyed a voucher to shop at no cost to them. This was an excellent opportunity for us to invite the community as well, and the events brought out dozens of people who are not patients, but local residents to mingle and get familiar with Culmore Clinic.
The response told us how much this was needed:
Across all four Markets, patients gravitated toward fresh, everyday staples such as corn, apples, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, sweet potatoes, and green beans. Eggs were the most popular protein, and ground beef purchases grew steadily throughout the season. New options like chicken and fish were quickly embraced, and even items like honey drew interest. Seasonal fruits like cantaloupe and watermelon became summer favorites. Patients repeatedly shared how happy they were with this initiative — many already asking when the Market will return — showing just how much this benefit was needed and how strongly it expanded access to fresh, nutritious foods for the families we serve.
By the final Market, 63 patients had been referred to the Food Prescription Program as part of our Food as Medicine initiative. From June through September, 44 patients redeemed their Produce & Protein benefit at least once — a 70% utilization rate. Of those, 27 patients returned to multiple Markets, and 13 attended three in a row. This steady participation, paired with ongoing referrals, shows how strongly patients relied on the program and how effectively the Market expanded access to fresh, nutritious foods for those who needed it most.
The educational session and the food market is made possible by a CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Place-Based Grant focused on community health and nutrition security.
From the Market Table to the Workshop Room
Fresh produce is one half of the picture. The other is knowing how to use it to manage a chronic condition. Every six weeks, NovaScripts Central, our neighbor at 6400 Arlington Blvd., leads a diabetes workshop for patients right here at the clinic. Each session takes on a different part of living with diabetes. So far the cohort has covered nutrition (two classes), medicine safety, exercise, and most recently mental health. Participants also take home tools to keep practicing: lunchboxes to help with meal planning, and resistance bands printed with exercises so they remember what to do at home.
The workshops are designed for patients who have just been diagnosed with diabetes. When a patient receives a new diagnosis, our project manager reaches out with a personal invitation to join the next cohort, so they start with support from day one.
The workshops and the Fresh Food Pop-Up Market are both funded by the same CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Place-Based Grant, and they're designed to work together: one puts healthy food in patients' hands, the other helps them use it to stay well.