# Doctors Prescribing Fresh Produce



## kinderfeld (Jan 29, 2006)

Just found out about this.
_
"The concept is simple: Instead of prescribing medication to people sickened with diet-related disease, we work with healthcare providers to literally write prescriptions for fruits and vegetables, which patients redeem at farmers markets. Since we launched this program in 2010, over 8,400 people in 10 states have redeemed $600,000 on produce. That’s a lot of ounces of prevention."_

https://www.wholesomewave.org/news/watch-doctors-prescribing-produce-absolutely


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

kinderfeld said:


> Just found out about this.
> _
> "The concept is simple: Instead of prescribing medication to people sickened with diet-related disease, we work with healthcare providers to literally write prescriptions for fruits and vegetables, which patients redeem at farmers markets. Since we launched this program in 2010, over 8,400 people in 10 states have redeemed $600,000 on produce. That’s a lot of ounces of prevention."_
> 
> https://www.wholesomewave.org/news/watch-doctors-prescribing-produce-absolutely


love this!!


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## kinderfeld (Jan 29, 2006)

Me too!


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Doctors write the prescriptions but they are redeemed at Farmers Markets? Who's paying for the fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables?

Can I get my doctor to make better choices for what I eat, why not get them to help me pick better shoes. Perhaps safer vehicles.

For this encouragement from the doctor, I have to assume that many lard bottoms have no idea what caused it nor how to shed the pounds.

How about a doctor's prescription for caster wheels on the dining room chairs, to make it easier to shove away from the dinner table?

Because the fake Flint Water Crisis required the State throw money at Flint. Since most of the people dong the complaining are on State Food programs, the State started a program that has vouchers that for every dollar of food stamp that is spent on fresh fruits and vegetables, you get double that amount of fruit or vegetables. It was designed to encourage better nutrition to counter the alleged elevated lead levels in a few children. I have no idea if it has had the desired effects.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

Maybe this means that the grocery stores will start carrying fruit and veggies that aren't half rotten!

Mon


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Whole Foods and Trader Joes has had more food recalls than I can count.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

Lard bottoms? omg I haven't heard that one for years. I think my brother use to say it about our next door neighbor. to her face. thankfully I don't have one.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

frogmammy said:


> Maybe this means that the grocery stores will start carrying fruit and veggies that aren't half rotten!Mon


While produce, of course, has a shorter lifespan than other food, it seems likely to me that a lot of the spoilage is due to shoppers choosing to fill their carts from the deli, freezer, drink and snack isles.


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## ticndig (Sep 7, 2014)

how many times can you squeeze a tomato before it looks bad ?
A guy at the farmers market has a sign that reads , all my produce is fresh and ripe PLEASE DO NOT SQUEEZE .


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

It would help if tax dollars didnt go to subsidize grain and thus grain fed and grain derived foods. Lets see the real cost reflected in foods and perhaps produce wouldnt seem so expensive in comparison.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

kinderfeld said:


> Just found out about this.
> _
> "The concept is simple: Instead of prescribing medication to people sickened with diet-related disease, we work with healthcare providers to literally write prescriptions for fruits and vegetables, which patients redeem at farmers markets. Since we launched this program in 2010, over 8,400 people in 10 states have redeemed $600,000 on produce. That’s a lot of ounces of prevention."_
> 
> https://www.wholesomewave.org/news/watch-doctors-prescribing-produce-absolutely


This is one of the goals of a whole food, plant-based lifestyle. I once took five different prescribed medications for blood pressure, cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes. Our WFPB lifestyle has reversed these medical issues. Now I am not taking any, nada, zero prescribed meds. And, as a side benefit, I have lost 75 pounds, feel more alert, and have more energy compared to when I was eating the SAD.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

Th


GTX63 said:


> While produce, of course, has a shorter lifespan than other food, it seems likely to me that a lot of the spoilage is due to shoppers choosing to fill their carts from the deli, freezer, drink and snack isles.


The idea is for the stores to* NOT* sell rotten produce to BEGIN with.

I love going to the grocery and lining up all the rotten tomatoes across the top of the display. Also fun doing this with rotten oranges and apples. How about some bananas with leathery, pitted skin and a little rot at the stem end? Maybe some grapes with a refreshing sulfur scent?

Stores put this out there for people to buy, and they DO. Maybe consumers need to learn what FRESH produce looks and tastes like and THEN they can make informed decisions about what they eat.

Mon


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

We seem to have the opposite problem in Minnesota. Much of the produce in our stores is green (unripe), especially fruit. Not sure if I have ever bought, or even seen, a ripe tomato, banana, peach, pear, plum or melon in one of our stores. Don't get me started on avocados.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Avocados can be a pain, hard as a rock one day, two days later, mushy and too ripe, if not actually rotten. Think lot fruit is picked way green, then stored in an oxygen starved atmosphere warehouse. Once it gets oxygen again at the grocery store or in your home, it makes up for lost time.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

ticndig said:


> how many times can you squeeze a tomato before it looks bad ?
> A guy at the farmers market has a sign that reads , all my produce is fresh and ripe PLEASE DO NOT SQUEEZE .



When I buy avocadoes I ALWAYS give a little squeeze. I want to know if I can use it in 2 days or whether it is already compost fodder...


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

A woman at the farmers market complained to my mom about how tomatoes today are hard and flavorless. Mom told her that heirloom tomatoes do not survive the hand job you're giving those. She plopped that tomato down and walked away, followed by our laughter. Sorry, but she was so clueless.

It is really difficult to find good quality produce anywhere nowadays. From melons to citrus to grapes to squash. Some picked too green, others improperly stored. Mostly mishandled by indifferent stockers. Don't get me started on check-out clerks! You can never find a good ripe peach in season but green tasteless ones are available year-round. Bananas have to be purchased a week before you plan to eat them. Grapes, used to have flavor and actually be seedless, now watery and with little hard pieces inside. If you want the good stuff you have to buy direct but it's not available whenever you have a craving.

I was in our local Meijer a few months back and watched a stocker tossing bananas onto the display. I told the manager at the service desk what I has witnessed. I have not bought bananas there since. Wal-mart OTOH does handle their bananas carefully. I bought some there a few days ago. They are ripe enough to eat now.

Good nuts are getting to be hard to find too. Quality is going downhill and the packagers don't care. I am slowly working my way through a bag of walnuts I bought yesterday and some of them are not prime quality, while the price was for prime quality nuts. I won't buy them at Kroger. When the bins get low they top them off and mix the nuts. YUCK!!!!!! Those even smell rancid!


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

Buy from growers that you can converse with or grow your own.

I'm planting more permaculture like apple tees and raspberries. Inspect for quality and keep records on who sells the best veggies/fruits/etc...

*Nuts.com


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

light rain said:


> Buy from growers that you can converse with or grow your own.


That's not always possible. Most people don't have the acreage or the proper climate for many items. I can get good apples and corn around here but not peaches or nuts. I planted Carpathian walnut trees 20 years ago. 1 tree died after a few years and the other has never produced any nuts. I should cut it down but it's a nice looking tree. The 20 year old hickory trees also have produced nothing. Pecans, too far north. Muskmelons, too many deer. 

OTOH, black raspberries and blackberries are producing wonderfully as are the currants. I got some lovely neck pumpkins from my little garden and every time I've grown kale I've got more than enough for our needs.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

You're right. We are limited to a degree. While we can't grow every vegetable, fruit or nut I bet most of us could grow enough to significantly supplement our food/vitamin/mineral needs. Here black walnuts are everywhere and most people are delighted for someone to remove them from their driveways and sidewalks.

We've got a basement full of Asian persimmon trees that I haul outside every late spring in an effort to get homegrown ripe persimmons. Still only harvest a couple but I'm hoping to improve the harvest by better care.

I know realistically I should just be growing plants suited to zone 4 but I'm curious about what potential crops could be added to our diet that are tastier, healthier and free of pesticides. Since we are going to a more plant based diet we've got a lot of incentive to produce more.
We'll see...


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

light rain said:


> We've got a basement full of Asian persimmon trees that I haul outside every late spring in an effort to get homegrown ripe persimmons. Still only harvest a couple but I'm hoping to improve the harvest by better care.


LOL, I have a few citrus trees I heat a small shed for. Only got one nice harvest of lemons, but didn't use them because that year I was in too much pain to do anything. I'm debating if they are even worth the trouble.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

haypoint said:


> Can I get my doctor to make better choices for what I eat, why not get them to help me pick better shoes.


 Actually a podiatrist will help you pick better shoes and no doubt get you orthotics for them also.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

light rain said:


> We've got a basement full of Asian persimmon trees that I haul outside every late spring in an effort to get homegrown ripe persimmons. Still only harvest a couple but I'm hoping to improve the harvest by better care.


We have an orange and a banana that we put in the garage every winter and haul out to the patio in the spring - we're in North Texas, no banana's yet but we do get oranges.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

We've only had a few figs so far. If I get a greenhouse set up late summer we may have time to ripen more. I am excited to have a makrut lime tree up about a ft. tall. In a south window in z-4 for last winter. By fall we should be able to start harvesting a few leaves for seasoning soup and rice.

What type of oranges?

Do you grow figs too?


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

light rain said:


> What type of oranges?
> 
> Do you grow figs too?


Valencia oranges, no figs -had them at our previous home, but never planted any here. We do have a Gala apple tree that the squirrels raided every apple off of last year. If TSHTF I'll harvest some plump squirrels.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

According to the current projections the cost of fruits and vegetables are going to rise very significantly. A lot of this is because of climate change in many countries but also because of a much higher demand for them because of health and diet concerns and guidelines. 

I think a lot of people will start gardening in their yards and either in containers or on allotments if they have no yard. It was always done in the past and even present but will be more popular as prices rise. Many cities are even changing the vegetation in parks to be food bearing trees and bushes and changing by-laws to allow certain food plants go be planted in front gardens instead of the waste of a lawn.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

We have two grocery stores in our small town and a seasonal farmers market. I never have complaints about the quality of produce. I don't buy much at the farmers market due to the prices being extremely high.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

The problem with the so-called Farmers Markets around here is that its mainly produce distributors that buy their produce from where ever (seldom locally) and then price it higher than the grocery stores. I haven't seen a farmer selling their own produce in decades.


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

mnn2501 said:


> The problem with the so-called Farmers Markets around here is that its mainly produce distributors that buy their produce from where ever (seldom locally) and then price it higher than the grocery stores. I haven't seen a farmer selling their own produce in decades.


That is really sad. Around here we have amazing Farmers markets and everything is grown locally


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## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

mnn2501 said:


> The problem with the so-called Farmers Markets around here is that its mainly produce distributors that buy their produce from where ever (seldom locally) and then price it higher than the grocery stores. I haven't seen a farmer selling their own produce in decades.


. 
I've seen that quite often too. At our little local market, our vendor agreement stated that you MUST grow the produce yourself to sell at the market and that the market board reserved the right to check out your farm. 99% of the vendors were the producers. One year a gentleman showed up with beautiful veggies....funny, we were all in a big drought with none of the others farmers getting anything from their soil. He was questioned and admitted to going out of state to purchase wholesale to then sell. Nice! That was his last market with us. He was banned.


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## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

haypoint said:


> Doctors write the prescriptions but they are redeemed at Farmers Markets? Who's paying for the fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables?


. That was exactly my question as well. Surfed their website and that isn't even covered at all.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

CountryMom22 I misspoke. I do not have a basement full of Asian persimmons. Wish I did...
I have a basement full of fig trees. -1 that was terribly rootbound that I re-potted yesterday and put outside on the west side of the house to acclimate.

Either the high pollens or upcoming medical procedures for DH have me not totally with it. Or something I don't want to consider.

Hope the clouds clear soon...


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## Poultryguy (Jan 29, 2014)

It is unfortunate that many people have not realized the importance of balanced diet. Fruits and veg. shiuld be on the top menu.


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## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

I agree. I wonder though who put those words together. It should be vegetables and fruit. Both are important but, there is more of a supply of vegetables year round and usually less carbs in vegetables. We are growing fruit but more important is the vegetables that we grow/buy, imo...


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Many people don't realize much of the produce we call "vegetable" is really "fruit". Squash, peppers, eggplant and tomatoes are all botanically "fruits". But it was probably an OCD person who went alphabetically. F before V.


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