- February 20, 2026
- By Graham Binder
Backed by more than $480,000 in funding from the National Institute for Food and Agriculture, a University of Maryland professor and Extension specialist is creating a produce-prescription program to combat diet-related illness in food-insecure communities across Maryland.
The program led by Hee-Jung Song will provide locally sourced fruit and vegetables to Marylanders at risk of heart disease and associated illnesses and track both their consumption patterns and any health improvement changes using electronic health records.
In the United States, heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of death, with complications from hypertension and diabetes exacerbating the problem. Song pointed to diet as the primary contributing factor.
“These health issues are linked to what type of food we choose, with 80 to 90% of folks that don’t meet recommended dietary guidelines for fruit and vegetable consumption,” Song said. “These approaches offer prevention or management through changes in lifestyle behavior and diet. At every stage of life, nutrition is important.”
This is the first time the state has received funding for a produce prescription program.
“Throughout the three-year project, I want to ensure the feasibility of this type of model to see if it can be replicated in other parts of Maryland,” she said.
Partner health care providers like MobileMed in Rockville, Md., will screen potential participants for risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and/or obesity, and refer candidates for a total of 140 study participants.
They will pass through six weeks of nutrition education delivered by the Extension’s Expanded Food and Nutrition Education program, and will be prescribed a locally sourced, culturally tailored produce basket for a period of 24 weeks. UMD dietetics students will facilitate check-ins with participants to chart their progress.
Song is collaborating with the Montgomery County-based organization Community FarmShare to pre-package the baskets of produce with locally sourced fruits and vegetables. Through the participant data sent by Song and health care providers, it can get a sense of clients’ individual needs, enabling FarmShare to pack items in their bag accordingly to optimize their nutrition.
“We contract purchase with local farmers so they grow the produce that is most needed and desired by the community to best meet dietary needs and cultural preferences,” said Jennifer Freeman, executive director and founder.
Following the three-year pilot period, Song hopes to replicate this model on a state or national scale.