DC Greens

Author: Luisa Furstenberg- Beckman Published: November 7, 2025

About

DC Greens is a nonprofit advancing health equity by building a just, resilient food system in Washington, D.C. Founded in 2009, the organization collaborates with community members, nonprofits, clinics, local government, and farms to address systemic food access challenges. Food Is Medicine became a core pillar in 2012 when DC Greens launched Produce Rx, the city’s first produce prescription program. Produce Rx provides eligible D.C. Medicaid patients with fresh fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and access to community wellness programs. Through partnerships and participant-centered design, DC Greens delivers holistic interventions that improve dietary behaviors, food security, and health outcomes. Their community farm and wellness space, The Well at Oxon Run, complements the program with workshops and resources addressing physical, mental, and emotional health.

Key Highlights

Produce Prescription Program

Eligible patients receive monthly produce prescriptions ($80–$120) via a debit card to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at hundreds of retailers across the D.C. metro area.

Eligibility & Enrollment

Adults diagnosed with diabetes, pre-diabetes, obesity, or hypertension can enroll for six months to one year, with midpoint check-ins to ensure engagement.

Holistic Wellness Support

Participants have access to The Well at Oxon Run for nutrition education, yoga, dance, and monthly produce distributions to support overall wellness.

Strong Community Partnerships

DC Greens works with 17 clinics, community organizations, government agencies, managed care organizations, grocery retail partners, local farms, and residents across all eight D.C. wards.

Measurable Health & Program Outcomes

Tracking includes program engagement, redemption rates, self-reported health outcomes, and biometric data, showing improvements in weight, A1c, blood pressure, and food confidence.

2024 Impact by the Numbers

800+

households enrolled

$760K+

spent on fresh produce

85%

said Produce Rx freed up resources to spend on other important things

83%

said the program increased their confidence that their food budget would last from month to month

Case Study

Who We Are

At DC Greens, our mission is to advance health equity by building a just and resilient food system. Founded in 2009, we work to change the system from the root. Through thought partnership, creativity, and collaboration, we work alongside D.C. residents, community advocates, nonprofit organizations, and the local government to create a stronger, better food system in our city.

While Food Is Medicine (FIM) was not a part of the founding mission, by 2012 we piloted the first produce prescription program in the nation’s capital and Food is Medicine quickly became a major pillar in the work we do. Today, our award-winning produce prescription program, Produce Rx, is the largest Food Is Medicine program in the city. DC Greens’ partnerships include other community-based organizations (CBOs), clinics, all three managed care organizations (MCOs) in D.C., D.C. Medicaid, local businesses, DC government, grocery retailers, and residents from all eight wards of Washington, D.C.

How We Think of Food Is Medicine

While the Food Is Medicine movement is more recent, FIM is not a new concept. Our ancestors used food to heal. Today, Food Is Medicine programs are nutrition-based programs or interventions used to help prevent, manage, and treat diet-related illnesses. In our own work at DC Greens, Food Is Medicine refers to interventions that aim to increase access to nutritious food through the health care system.

We define it this way because Food is Medicine is a principle that strives to fully integrate food and nutrition access into health care delivery.

How We Put Food is Medicine Into Action

At DC Greens, we implement a produce prescription program, Produce Rx. Our award-winning program is a preventive health benefit for DC Medicaid patients diagnosed with a diet-related chronic condition such as diabetes, pre-diabetes, obesity, or hypertension. Once enrolled in Produce Rx, patients receive “prescriptions” from their health care provider for fresh fruits and vegetables, totaling $80–$120 per month based on household size. Participants receive a produce prescription debit card called the Fresh Connect card, which they can use to purchase fresh produce at hundreds of grocery store retailers across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Participants must be 18 or older and a patient at one of our 17 partner clinics. Participants are enrolled for a set period of time, typically six months to one year. Participants must see their health care provider around the halfway mark of the program, as well as spend their dollars, to remain in the program for the full program duration. In 2024, more than 800 D.C. households participated in — and had their lives changed — by DC Greens’ Produce Rx program.

Another resource DC Greens provides to its Produce Rx participants is access to DC Greens’ urban farm and wellness space, The Well at Oxon Run. The space provides participants with nutrition education and wellness workshops, as well as other resources pertaining to physical, mental, and emotional wellness, including but not limited to yoga, dance classes, and monthly fresh produce distribution.