Who We Are
Think Regeneration is a national nonprofit accelerating change in food and agriculture by helping farmers create more circular local economies, expand peer-to-peer education, improve health outcomes through nutrient-dense food, and build opportunities for rural entrepreneurs. We believe Food is Medicine programs must intentionally center on farmers—who sit at the intersection of health care, agriculture, food access, and ecosystem stewardship.
In Arizona, our lead program partner is Development of Regenerative Yields Cooperative (DRY Co-op). DRY Co-op supports its membership of producers and service providers by collaborating with food aggregation hubs, NGOs, Tribal partners, and governmental agencies to identify and build viable marketplaces for regenerative growers. Their work increases producer profitability while advancing best practices to grow nutrient-dense, culturally relevant food.
In Illinois, we work with family farmers and community leaders in Pembroke Township to build Food is Medicine programming that strengthens local food sovereignty, expands rural health access, and stimulates local economic development. Across all states, Food is Medicine aligns directly with our mission: supporting growers, improving community health, and creating systems that keep value in rural communities.
How We Approach Food is Medicine
Rather than defining Food is Medicine as a single program model, we ground our work in a set of axioms rooted in regenerative agriculture—principles that guide both healthy ecosystems and healthy communities:
- Food grown regeneratively and organically, with soil health as the foundation of nutrient density
- Economic success for producers, ensuring farmers can thrive while feeding their communities
- Eating seasonally and ensuring food reflects regional biodiversity
- Honoring cultural values, traditions, and community knowledge
- Required monthly educational requirements—including diabetes care, nutrition, cooking, and physical and mental health—support the whole person and encourage sustained behavior changes.
For us, Food is Medicine is not a downstream intervention—it is a systems approach linking soil health, farmer profitability, consumer access, and community wellness.
How We Put Food is Medicine Into Action
Illinois: Community-Rooted Prescription Produce Program
Nationally, we are implementing a small pilot prescription food program for individuals with Type 2 diabetes in Pembroke Township, Illinois. Inspired by FreshRx in Tulsa, Oklahoma, our model sources 100% of food from Illinois family farms using organic and regenerative practices. This emphasis ensures that participants receive nutrient-dense, locally grown produce while strengthening the rural agricultural economy.
The program includes:
- Weekly or biweekly nutrient-dense produce boxes
- Culturally relevant recipes and cooking demonstrations
- Regular clinical measures collected through trusted healthcare partners
- Farmer-community engagement to build long-term relationships and trust
Arizona: Co-Designing Food is Medicine with Institutions
In Arizona, we are actively exploring Food is Medicine program designs in partnership with medical institutions, Tribal health systems, physicians, and community organizations. Our intent is to co-create a model tailored to the needs of underserved populations, with DRY Co-op grower networks supplying regeneratively grown, nutrient-dense foods.
These conversations have surfaced strong interest in:
- Medically tailored food boxes
- Produce prescriptions integrated into clinics
- Farm-to-clinic supply chains that elevate regional producers
- Shared infrastructure that improves aggregation and distribution capacity
How We’re Funded and How the Future Looks
Our current programs are funded through a combination of family foundations, corporate philanthropy, and early-stage nonprofit grants. As we scale, we are building a diversified funding model that includes:
- Reimbursement through SNAP, WIC, and other public nutrition programs
- Partnerships with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and clinics
- Hospital and insurer collaborations
- State Medicaid opportunities
- A self-pay model launching later this year for individuals seeking to improve Type 2 diabetes self-management
Our future vision is a financially sustainable, value-aligned ecosystem where regenerative farmers are fully integrated into the healthcare delivery system.
Which Metrics and Outcomes We Track
Our clinical and behavioral outcomes include:
- A1C: average decrease of 2.2 points
- Weight: average 18 pounds lost in year one
- Blood pressure: consistent normalization among participants
Beyond standard measures, we are exploring advanced metrics connected to inflammation, stress, pain, and recovery—particularly cancer-related quality of life markers. We believe that by capturing these indicators, we can better demonstrate the relationship between regenerative nutrient-dense food and improved health outcomes.
We also track:
- Farmer revenue impact
- Participant engagement and retention
- Local economic multipliers
- Soil health indicators on participating farms
- Supply chain efficiencies and aggregation improvements
Lessons Learned
1. Producer Profitability Is Foundational
A key challenge is ensuring producers can afford to implement regenerative practices that optimize nutrient density. Without premium pricing or stable institutional markets, growers often lack the financial capacity to invest in soil-building practices. Food is Medicine programs must therefore guarantee predictable, fair pricing that sustains farmers and encourages regenerative transitions.
2. Division of Labor Strengthens the Model
Aggregation and distribution is best handled by entities other than producers. Farmers should maximize the focus on soil health, biodiversity, and production to optimize the quality of the products —while partners manage marketing, sales, logistics, and accounting. This division of labor is essential for scale to appropriation, economic as well as efficiency, as well as long-term viability.
3. Participant Engagement Is Critical
Participants must be willing and supported to fully engage in the process—receiving and preparing produce, attending nutrition or cooking sessions, and using the food consistently. Programs are most successful when participants feel ownership, agency, and cultural alignment.
4. Shared Infrastructure Creates Shared Value
Regional aggregation hubs, cold storage, and transportation networks reduce burden on farmers and increase availability of high-quality produce for healthcare systems. Co-investing in this infrastructure is a key priority for scale.
Why We Want to Keep Providing Food is Medicine
We believe meaningful food sovereignty should have more impact than merely addressing food security and maximum nutrition. As such, we believe that any Food is Medicine program should impact communities positively at every link through the supply chain and should support both human health and ecosystem stewardship.
We believe meaningful food sovereignty must go beyond addressing food security or maximizing nutrient intake. Food is Medicine should catalyze systems change—supporting:
- Local economies that keep value with farmers
- Human health powered by nutrient-dense, culturally grounded food
- Ecosystem stewardship rooted in regenerative practices
- Trusted relationships between growers, clinicians, and communities
By building programs that uplift every link in the supply chain—from life above and below soil to clinical outcomes—we envision a future where Food is Medicine strengthens human wellness and ecological resilience, and local economies.