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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Nutrition

Produce Prescription Programs

Produce prescription programs have been shown to increase access to nutritious foods in communities at risk for food insecurity. These programs help meet the needs of individuals and families experiencing food insecurity and diet-related health problems by making fruit and vegetables more readily available to communities in need.

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity when compared to non-Native people. They are also more likely to live in areas with low or no access to fresh foods than any other racial or ethnic group. About one in four Native people experience food insecurity, compared to one in nine Americans overall. The higher rates of food insecurity amongst AI/AN people are worsened by water insecurity, loss of land, forced relocation, and environmental pollution, all of which have negatively impacted traditional healthy food practices.

IHS Produce Prescription Pilot Program (P4)

In 2023, IHS awarded a total of $2.5 million in funding to five Tribes and Tribal organizations to implement a 5-year produce prescription program in their communities. These initial P4 grant recipients received $500,000 annually in grant funding. To further enhance the foundational work undertaken during the original P4, an additional $3.5 million was awarded to fourteen Tribal and Urban Indian communities in 2026 through Phase 2 of the P4. Phase 2 awardees received up to $250,000 each in 2026 grant funding.

Both phases of P4 will demonstrate and evaluate the impact of produce prescription programs on AI/AN people and their families, specifically by:

  • Reducing food insecurity.
  • Improving nutrition and dietary patterns by increasing access to and consumption of fruits, vegetables, and traditional foods, while building nutrition knowledge through education that supports healthier food choices and long-term behavior change.
  • Promoting whole-person health and well-being.

The following Tribes, Tribal organizations, and Urban Indian organizations are current recipients of IHS P4 grant funding.

Important Dates & Links

Original P4 Cohort Meeting

January 8, 2027 at
2pm CST, 1pm MST

P4 Grant Resources

P4 Grantee Spotlights

Map of the U.S. showing the P4 Programs location
Grant Recipient City State P4 Award Group*
Coeur d'Alene Tribal Health Authority dba Marimn Health Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Plummer Idaho Phase 2
Coquille Indian Tribe Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Coos Bay Oregon Phase 2
Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Milwaukee Wisconsin Phase 2
Indian Health Council, Inc. Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Valley Center California Phase 2
Laguna Healthcare Corporation Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Paraje New Mexico Original
Lake County Tribal Health Consortium, Inc. Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Lakeport California Phase 2
Muscogee Creek Nation Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Okmulgee Oklahoma Original
Native Health, Inc. Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Phoenix Arizona Phase 2
Navajo Health Foundation - Sage Memorial Hospital Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Ganado Arizona Original
Norton Sound Health Corporation Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Nome Alaska Phase 2
Pascua Yaqui Tribe Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Tucson Arizona Original
Rocky Boy Health Center Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Box Elder Montana Original
Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Sault Ste Marie Michigan Phase 2
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  La Conner Washington Phase 2
Texas Native Health Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Dallas Texas Phase 2
The Chickasaw Nation Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Ada Oklahoma Phase 2
Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Marksville Louisiana Phase 2
Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Salt Lake City Utah Phase 2
Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov  Bethel Alaska Phase 2

*The original P4 cohort started their grant in 2023, and the Phase 2 P4 cohort started their grant in 2026.

Press Release

September 22, 2026

Indian Health Service Awards $3.5 Million for Tribal Food and Nutrition Initiatives Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 

Additional Produce Prescription Efforts in Tribal Communities

Food sovereignty, health, and produce prescription programs: A case study in two rural tribal communities Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 

Food Access and Sustainability Team (FAST) Blackfeet’s Food Pharmacy Program Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov 

Feeding Wisconsin’s Tribal Elder Food Box Program Exit Disclaimer: You Are Leaving www.ihs.gov