Food As Medicine is an “umbrella” term that covers several more specific programs, including Prescription for Health and Fresh Food Access Program. The Food As Medicine programs are administered by the Upper Peninsula Commission on Area Progress (UPCAP) and a broad program overview is provided on the UPCAP website.
Prescription for Health
See the UP Matters website for an overview on this program. Some pertinent information for farmers market customers and vendors follows:
- Vouchers are provided to program participants and presented to participating vendors as payment. Each voucher is worth $5 and program enrollees receive $15 in vouchers per week. All vouchers expire on October 31 of the year in which they were issued.
- Vendors cannot make change for vouchers, so they will need to round down or add a small item to increase the value to $5.
- Vouchers CAN be used for fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, and mushrooms.
- Vouchers CANNOT be used for eggs, meat, honey, bread, plant starts, and prepared foods.
- All produce must be grown by the participating farmer. Resellers are not allowed to accept the vouchers.
- Program participants may spend their vouchers at any of the participating markets in the U.P.
- Qualified participants receive a referral from a participating healthcare provider with a prescription for adding fresh fruits and vegetables to their diets. All referrals are processed through the 2-1-1 call center at UPCAP and, once the referral is received, potential participants are contacted by a trained call specialist to discuss the program and complete an enrollment.
Fresh Food Access Program (administered by UPCAP)
See the UPCAP website for an overview on this program. Some pertinent information for farmers market customers and vendors follows:
- Vouchers are provided to program participants and presented to participating vendors as payment. Each voucher is worth $5 and program enrollees receive $25 in vouchers per month. All vouchers expire on October 31 of the year in which they were issued.
- Vendors cannot make change for vouchers, so they will need to round down or add a small item to increase the value to $5.
- Vouchers can be used for eggs, maple syrup, honey, wild rice, dairy items, beef, pork, chicken, or fish.
- Program funding is provided by Food Bank Council of Michigan in partnership with UPCAP.
- Qualified participants receive a referral from a participating healthcare provider with a prescription for adding fresh fruits and vegetables to their diets. All referrals are processed through the 2-1-1 call center at UPCAP and, once the referral is received, potential participants are contacted by a trained call specialist to discuss the program and complete an enrollment.
Prescription for Health Brochure
Fresh Food Access Brochure
