Last 2023 FARMACY Class

West Virginia continues to lead the nation in chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. Through a program called FARMACY WV, we emphasize the concepts: “healthy food is medicine”; and the first line of treatment and prevention is a healthy diet and lifestyle changes.

FARMACY WV is a 10-week program that supports those concepts by providing fresh produce and healthy food along with nutrition and cooking education. During the first week of class, participants received a care kit, an insulated bag, a cookbook, and a workbook. Participants were also weighed, had their blood pressure checked, and had their labs drawn to establish a baseline. Each week, they received a useful kitchen tool and vouchers for fresh produce at Lakeview Market. Every other week, they receive a healthy meal box from Mountaineer Food Bank. At the end of the program, labs, B/P, and weight were once again taken and compared to the baseline.

This was the second year that RRHC has hosted FARMACY classes for Ritchie County and we feel extremely lucky to be a part of the efforts to help improve the health of our community, families, and friends. We sincerely appreciate all those who were involved!