The Farmacy Program is full. If you would like to be placed on the wait list, go ahead and submit the regular on-line application. Sometimes people drop out. We will let you know if a spot opens up.

More than half of US adults suffer from at least one chronic disease (such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, hypertension). Chronic diseases account for $3.8 trillion of the nation’s annual health care budget.

Most chronic diseases are caused or made worse by the standard American diet of highly processed foods. Increased amounts of fresh nutrient-dense vegetables, fruits and herbs in the diet can improve overall health, a fact that drives the Food is Medicine movement.

The Berea Urban Farm’s Farmacy Program provides produce from the farm at very low cost to adults with one or more chronic diseases. We also provide nutrition information, lessons on preparing and cooking with the produce, and on-farm gatherings with the goal of building a supportive community of people working to improve their health by improving their diet.

People accepted into the Farmacy Program receive:

• A weekly box of produce from the BUF for 20 weeks (roughly May - September)

• Recipes and tastings at pickup

• Four cooking classes: Hands-on and fun!

• Invitations to two on-farm receptions

• Tours of the farm to see where their food is grown and meet the people who grow it

• Either a 3’x5’ raised garden bed or a 25-gallon planter tub with soil, seeds, instructions

Requirements for members of the program:

• Complete a pre- and a post-program survey on diet and food preferences

• Pay $50 toward the cost of their produce share (regular cost is $400)

• Come to the farm weekly to pick up their food (Tuesdays, anytime between 4pm and 6pm)

• Attend at least three of seven classes on cooking with fresh produce

• Attend at least one of two on-farm receptions

• Grow some food in a tub or raised bed

*Cooking classes are scheduled Thursday May 29 11am – 1pm and 5pm – 7pm; Friday June 6 11am-1pm; Thursday June 12 11am-1pm and 5pm-7pm; and Thursday June 19 11am – 1pm and 5pm-7pm. Noon and evening sessions on the same day are the same class, so you can attend only one session per day. You may bring a partner and children more than five years of age.

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Who is eligible to apply?

Participants must be residents of Berea or Richmond (zip code 40403 or 40475), age 21 years or older, and identify as having one or more chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and inflammatory bowel syndrome. No medical information is requested or required to participate. Preference is given to households that self-report as low income. Applications are due by February 1 2025. Space is limited, and we may not be able to accept every applicant.