Food Prescriptions

The local Food Prescriptions project sought to ensure fair and equal access to fresh food for all Huon Valley residents. It aimed to improve primary health outcomes by providing education and awareness to the importance of healthy food choices. It directly linked to the third priority theme - Food security, access and equity.

Working in collaboration with local farms, Diabetes Tasmania and Health Consumers Tasmania (Huon Valley), a weekly food box was initiated over a ten-week period, enabling access to fresh local produce for referred clients who have a chronic health condition (such as diabetes) or other personal and inflicted circumstances that make accessing fresh food difficult.

Support services were provided by our project partners, ensuring that their clients were able to maximise the opportunity by accessing additional support as/where needed. We also engaged with Eat Well Tasmania who produced a series of recipe cards reflecting the local produce available, raising education and awareness of what food is available, and its nutritional value and benefits.

Through the ‘Growing Together Harvest Festival’ events, program participants were encouraged to engage in the unique opportunities and events on offer as a way of extending their education opportunities too.

Through referrals received from our project partners, a total of eight clients - four from each, were inducted into the Food Prescriptions trial project. Whilst being a small sample, the involvement of Health Consumers Tasmania as a partner allowed us to more broadly test the concept with those who have a range of personal circumstances, demographics and backgrounds, not just chronic health conditions.

Weekly supplies of fresh produce were purchased from multiple local farms, including (but not limited to) Early Bird Market Garden, Cygnet Mushrooms, R&R Smiths, Huski Greens/Scrubby Hill Market Garden, Our Mates Farm, Cygnet Garden Larder and Sparrow Foot Farm.

The boxes were packed by the Project Officer, and in conjunction with Health Consumers Tasmania, distributed (often personally delivered) to each client. The face-to-face contact (whilst labour intensive), was found to be particularly beneficial as it provided increased dialogue and gained understanding of participants’ circumstances and how this initiative was benefitting them personally. For some who were isolated, the weekly delivery turned into a chance to build connections and social interaction, as well as sharing opportunities to become more actively involved within their community that they would not have otherwise known about.

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The Food Prescriptions project is one of several trial projects that were delivered during the development of the business plan for the Huon Valley Food Hub, to help inform this important foundational work. Further information about these projects and the broader Huon Valley Food Hub Business and Strategic Plan is available here.