Food Bank outlines Food as Medicine initiative and Growing Hope produce pilot

Rachel Miller told the House Tribal Affairs Committee that the Food Bank of Alaska will serve as the state’s Produce Incentive and Food as Medicine Resource and Coordinating Agency after a Department of Health award.

"We entered into a partnership with the state of Alaska for the next 10 years to be this Produce Incentive and Food as Medicine Resource and Coordinating Agency," Miller said, noting the work began in May 2025 and the initial landscape assessment was released in that period.

Miller said the award from the Centers for Disease Control will provide $750,000 over 10 years to support statewide coordination, technical assistance and strategic planning. She said the Food Bank anticipates supplementing those funds with other public and private sources to scale initiatives and that some measures may be candidates for Medicaid 1115 waiver billing so produce‑prescription models could be reimbursable by Medicaid.

As an example, Miller described Growing Hope, a small pilot that packs approximately 20 boxes per week of fresh (preferably local) produce for people in cancer treatment centers. Early feedback, she said, indicates recipients value locally sourced items more than an organic label, and the program includes recipe guidance and participant feedback loops.

Miller said Food as Medicine programs require a stronger supply chain and more local production to scale in Alaska; she described the Food Bank’s intent to coordinate healthcare providers, nutritionists and supply‑chain partners through a statewide Food Is Medicine Coalition.

What happens next: Food Bank will continue strategic planning, seek supplemental funding, and work with Medicaid and state agencies to explore billing and program design for produce prescriptions.