Strengthening Access to Healthy Food: Produce Plus in 2024
The next season of Produce Plus begins in June, marking FRESHFARM’s fourth year as administrators of this unique DC Health food access program. As we launch the 2025 season, let’s take a look back at 2024 milestones and program participant feedback.
Last year, FRESHFARM’s Produce Plus program continued to be a vital resource for thousands of DC residents, offering meaningful support to individuals and families striving for better health through nutrition. Designed to increase equitable access to fresh, local produce, Produce Plus provides much-needed financial assistance to District residents facing food insecurity and chronic health challenges.
2024: A Record-Breaking Year
Over the course of the 2024 season (June–November), Produce Plus served 8,001 Washington, DC residents, distributing a record-breaking $990,761 in incentives (a 13% increase in spending over 2023) that could be redeemed for fresh fruits and vegetables at 63 locations across the city. As documented in a third-party 2024 program evaluation, participants overwhelmingly reported positive outcomes: 98% of survey respondents said they ate more produce thanks to the program and also felt healthier overall.
Improved Perceived Health
What’s more, program participant testimonials highlighted how Produce Plus is critical to addressing diet-related chronic diseases. For example, by improving participants’ diets and increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, Produce Plus helped address health concerns like high blood sugar and hypertension. Diet-related chronic diseases are commonly self-reported by almost all participants, with 37% reporting hypertension, 29% arthritis, and 21% diabetes. These numbers underscore the crucial role that access to nutritious food can play in managing chronic conditions. One program participant reported, “The program pushed me to eat healthier, which helped lower my A1C.” In tandem, food insecurity remains a serious concern: 74% of participants worried about not having enough food, and 69% ran out of food “often” or “sometimes.”
Investing in Produce Plus
Despite its clear success, the program faced significant limitations in meeting demand. A striking 35% of eligible applicants—totaling 4,717 residents—were turned away due to insufficient funding. This was compounded by a 19% increase in applicants from the previous year, stretching resources thinner and reducing the approval rate from 67% in 2023 to 59% in 2024.
Participant voices capture both the need and the gratitude. “The support they provide to eat healthy means I can eat more fruits and vegetables,” one person wrote. Another noted, “The Produce Plus program was instrumental in assisting me in using healthy eating to address many of my health concerns.”
As FRESHFARM looks to the future, the data from Produce Plus makes a compelling case for continued and expanded investment in nutrition incentive programs. Nick Stavely, FRESHFARM’s Director of Incentive Programs, says, “Over the years, demand for the program has only increased. Simultaneously, program impact and effectiveness have also increased year over year. Thanks to a close partnership with DC Health, FRESHFARM has been able to build Produce Plus into a reliable resource for District residents.”
“Produce Plus equitably and efficiently meets a clear need for DC residents. Under our management over the past three years, the majority (58%) of all participants spent at least 80% of their allotted funds, with more than one-third (33%) spending 100% of their available funds each year,” notes Stavely. “Folks engage with and trust the Produce Plus program year after year, and I think that is because of our carefully considered program design and authentic connections with residents, partner markets, farmers, and our Market Champions.”
FRESHFARM received an increase in FY25 funding from the DC Council for Produce Plus, aiming to serve more residents than in previous years. As we start the 2025 season, we endeavor to serve as many District residents as possible, knowing that DC residents face continually increasing rates of food insecurity and external pressures.
By addressing food insecurity, creating new revenue streams for local farmers, and improving perceived health outcomes in underserved communities, Produce Plus exemplifies how targeted nutrition incentives can transform lives—one apple, one family, and one neighborhood at a time.
