Food Access is Part of Holistic Health
A patient may leave a CommuniCare+OLE health center with a pharmaceutical prescription, but they could also walk out with fresh produce—or greater access to it. That’s thanks to the food and wellness programs offered at the organization’s four Federally Qualified Health Centers in Yolo County. These sites, also called Community Health Centers, receive federal funds to provide primary healthcare services to low-income and unhoused residents, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. Grant funding and private donations extend this work beyond the exam room, helping the organization tackle health inequities facing the communities it serves.
“We primarily serve patients whose income falls below the poverty line,” Edye Kuyper, Food and Wellness Manager at CommuniCare+OLE, said. “There are many co-occurring challenges that they face that have significant impacts on their health.”
One such challenge is access to healthy food—a connection the organization makes in its food and wellness programs. This effort is supported by a 2,400 square-foot community garden located outside the Hansen Family Health Center in Woodland which features 12 raised garden beds and a total yield of 3,000-pounds of produce annually that’s distributed to patients in clinic waiting rooms and used in cooking classes. A smaller urban demonstration garden is located in West Sacramento at the Salud Health Center.
The organization hosts cooking classes for patients using the seasonal, garden-grown produce, like Swiss chard in the winter, and offers classes specifically tailored to patients in substance use disorder treatment. When SNAP benefits were delayed during the government shutdown in late 2025, a cooking class was offered on how to make your SNAP money go further.
“Sometimes we call it culinary medicine, where we’re offering patients information and hands-on classes to develop skills and empower them to be able to use the food that we distribute,” Edye said.
For patients with a diabetes-related diagnosis, the Produce Rx (Produce Prescription) program distributes up to $70 per month in vouchers for fresh produce, which are redeemable at Nugget Markets throughout Yolo County, Food 4 Less in Woodland, the Center for Land-Based Learning’s Mobile Farmers Market, and the Davis Farmers Market. These patients receive a “prescription” from a doctor for enrollment for six months of participation in the program. Survey data from the first two years of the programs show positive results.
At the start of the program, half of participants reported current or recent instances of food insecurity—a number that dropped to 35% by the end of their participation. Patients have shared that they use this money for produce that they typically can’t afford and see as a luxury, like berries.
Last year, 450 people benefited from the Produce Rx program. Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Agriculture funding period for the program is entering its final year and a future source of funding is unknown.
The organization is seeking funding and donations to sustain the program, because “it’s become something that patients have so valued.”
On the horizon is an opportunity for greater engagement with agricultural workers through a Yolo Food Bank program that delivers food boxes to their homes and workplaces. During these distributions, CommuniCare+OLE will provide food demonstrations and include recipes and information about available clinical services.
Donations to food and wellness programs like Produce Rx and the community garden help CommuniCare+OLE carry out community solutions to hunger and help reduce help disparities in Yolo County.
