Missouri is known for its incredible agricultural bounty and robust and diverse food industry, so few people realize that food insecurity is a major issue in the Show-Me State.

Nationally, the average food insecurity rate is 13%, but Missouri’s average is much higher than that – with 14.2% of the population experiencing food insecurity at any given time. This sobering statistic translates to 865,400 individuals experiencing food insecurity, including nearly one in every six children. With the average meal costing around $2.78, Missourians need $409,933,000 to meet basic food needs.

In early 2018, Bayer Fund provided Operation Food Search with a four-year grant of $850,000 to help address this burgeoning challenge and support Missouri in its effort to improve the food and nutrition circumstances of its citizens. Specifically, the grant helped support the launch of the Fresh Rx Program: Nourishing Healthy Starts.

Fresh Rx, an innovative “food as medicine” program, targets one of the most crucial demographics: pregnant women. In St. Louis, the infant mortality rate is 6.1%, which surpasses the 5.6% national average. Nutrition received in the first 1,000 days of an individual’s life is a huge determinant in the long-term health outcomes for that person. The Fresh Rx Program provides a healthy game plan for these women to improve not only their own physical, mental and emotional health, but also their families’ overall nutrition for generations to come.

So, how does it work?

The centerpiece of the Fresh Rx program is fresh, healthy food. Fresh Rx provides families in need with a weekly share of locally-sourced protein, dairy, fruits and vegetables from Fair Shares CCSA, an Operation Food Search partner. To encourage consumption and healthy habits, as well as address possible dietary restrictions, the program offers participants one-on-one nutritional consultations with the Fresh Rx registered dietician.

The program also provides nutrition education classes so participants can feel confident in preparing a family meal. In addition, there are at-home and online nutrition and cooking tutorials that offer hands-on demonstrations that are easy to follow.

What about the emotional and mental aspects of health and nutrition?

Fresh Rx prioritizes that, too. The program offers participants various supportive services and outlets, as well as links to community resources so that no family feels left behind. Fresh Rx moms report that the social connection and caring they receive significantly contributes to their goal of healthy pregnancies and delivering healthy babies.

Although Missouri’s food insecurity rate is higher than the national average, the designers of Fresh Rx: Nourishing Healthy Starts view this as an opportunity to bring Missourians together to help initiate social change, with the hope of fostering healthy habits that can be passed on to future generations.

Bayer Fund is proud support an action-driven initiative that incorporates the support of local farmers and positively influences communities and populations facing great needs.