Good nutrition is essential across the lifespan — supporting healthy growth early on and helping people maintain strength and independence in later life. Reflecting that need, the School of Public Health’s first Cultivate Grants will improve access to nourishing food in two high-impact settings: early childhood programs and clinical care for older adults.
Cultivate is the first funding initiative of the school’s Food and Agriculture Research Mission (FARM), which invests in practical, scalable solutions that connect agriculture, nutrition and public health to build healthier, more resilient communities. The initiative invests in projects with near-term potential to change practice and policy. Track 1 awards up to $40,000 for one year to help early-career investigators test promising ideas. Track 2 provides up to $250,000 over two to three years for established interdisciplinary teams advancing pilot studies that can scale.
The Track 1 project — Growing Minds, Growing Communities — strengthens Farm to Early Care and Education (Farm to ECE) programs, a national approach that connects child care settings to gardening, farm visits, nutrition education and locally grown foods. The Track 2 project launches a Missouri-based Food is Medicine hub that integrates medically tailored meals into clinical care for older adults recovering from illness.
Growing Minds, Growing Communities
Endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Academy of Sciences, Farm to ECE programs operate across the country, reaching 12 million children up to age 5 in child care. Such programs have been shown to promote healthier eating habits, enhance understanding of food systems and support local farmers, said principal investigator Stephanie Mazzucca-Ragan, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health.
Yet implementation varies widely across settings, and it’s difficult to evaluate what works best or to sustain funding.
Mazzucca-Ragan’s team will identify the core components of successful programs and define metrics, with a goal to standardize practices, enhance implementation and strengthen the evidence base to increase support from policymakers and funders.
“Farm to ECE interventions are a practical, scalable, evidence-based approach to food system transformation and improved public health, specifically for the youngest members of our communities,” said Mazzuca-Ragan. “By strengthening how these programs are defined and evaluated, we can help more children develop healthy habits while supporting the communities that feed them.”
NOURISH — A Food is Medicine hub in Missouri
The Track 2 project, NOURISH (Network for Operationalizing Upstream Responses to Improve Systems and Food), will build a regional Food is Medicine hub that links hospitals and health systems, community food organizations and a university-based research team to deliver medically tailored nutrition services as part of routine care — starting with older adults at risk of malnutrition at Mercy Hospital Jefferson in rural Jefferson County, Mo.
Patient screenings at Mercy Hospital Jefferson have revealed that one in five older adults admitted for inpatient care is malnourished, leading to worse health and care outcomes.
No coordinated regional network exists to address food insecurity at scale. Food is Medicine programs can improve health, but they remain difficult to replicate, sustain and integrate into standard care. “Missouri reflects both the urgency and opportunity to connect health care and food systems,” said principal investigator Dan Ferris, an associate professor of practice at the Brown School.
Led by WashU, Food Outreach and Mercy, the initiative brings together expertise in medically tailored meals, clinical care, nutrition education, philanthropy, research and policy to drive systems change and build scalable care models.
Partners will share data and insights to refine and expand the model. The program also will explore ways to redirect surplus nutritious food from farms and food providers to patients and community members.
“In the first year, we hope to see tangible benefits for older adults at risk of malnutrition: improved nutrition security, better continuity of care and stronger community connections,” Ferris said.
The team, including co-principal investigator Todd Combs, a research assistant professor at the School of Public Health, will track health outcomes, refine logistics and identify what’s needed for long-term sustainability, including expanded partnerships and new funding streams. A final report summarizing findings will be shared widely across the region, including a summit planned for early 2028.
“Our vision is a sustainable regional model that shows Food is Medicine is not just a program, but a better way to deliver care, shape policy and invest in health,” Ferris said.
