PhytoRx Families Success in 2025

by Basheerah | Apr 13, 2026

In 2025, our interdisciplinary team conducted a pilot test of the PhytoRx Families program in 2 rural counties in eastern North Carolina (NC). In collaboration with the program’s farmer and food hub, ABC2 Farms, the program distributed roughly 4,000 lbs of fresh produce. Additionally, 15 rural adult-child dyads were enrolled, with 12 completing the program (80.0% retention).

Adults were all female, with an average age of 50 years (SD 13.1), majority non-Hispanic Black (58.3%), non-Hispanic White (33.3%), and Hispanic-Other (16.7%), participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ((SNAP); 27.3%) and the Special Supplement Nutrition Program for Women Infants, and Children ((WIC); 27.3%). Youth were mostly female (54.5%), with an average age of 10.8 years (SD 2.1).

Most adults agreed (81.8%) that receiving a produce box helped their family eat healthier, and most (72.8%) reported consuming more than half of the produce box each week. Adult participants also experienced improvements in BMI and systolic blood pressure. Youth participants experienced improvements in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and in Hemoglobin A1C. However, adult and youth skin carotenoid scores (an objective measure of fruit and vegetable intake) and diet quality (HEI 2020) slightly decreased.

These findings support the scalability of the PhytoRx Families produce prescription program in potentially improving health and diet among rural, underserved families in eastern NC. Yet, the team will continue pilot testing in summer 2026 in collaboration with pediatrics and family medicine clinics, and ABC2 Farms in two rural counties in North Carolina. Researchers will also continue examining the program’s impact on health, diet, and healthcare utilization. Finally, the PhytoRx Families team submitted a Duke Endowment healthcare grant in collaboration with ECU Health, and hopes to receive funding to expand the program to more participants in the near future.