Zenger Farm Joins Community Effort to Fight Hunger
Local Partners Work to Expand Food Access
Last week, Zenger Farm, representatives from the Multnomah County Health Center, Oregon Rep. Lamar Wise (D-48), and DoorDash kicked off Hunger Action Month by marking 150 million meals delivered nationally via Project DASH, DoorDash’s initiative to power charitable deliveries from food banks, healthcare institutions, and other community organizations. This milestone reflects more than 9 million deliveries powered by over 300 partner organizations — among them Zenger Farm, where produce is prescribed by clinicians and delivered to patients' homes.
Officials marked the occasion by providing a ceremonial Project DASH delivery to a DoorDash Dasher.
DoorDash also announced its first grants dedicated to Food as Medicine: $150,000 available to existing Project DASH partners in grants of up to $15,000, supporting partners' 2027 initiatives. Applications are open through Nov. 30, 2026.
Zenger Farm runs the largest Produce Prescription program in Oregon, Community Supported Agriculture Partnerships for Health (CSAP4H), working with Multnomah County Federally Qualified Health Centers and other local farms to provide nutritious CSA boxes to patients as a form of preventive care. These boxes consist of produce and resources to reinforce a healthy lifestyle, such as recipes, a seasonal produce guide, and weekly newsletters. Zenger Farm works with insurers to cover CSA much as they would cover prescription medicine, directing healthcare spending into local agriculture and removing the cost from the patient.
Project DASH powers the delivery leg of that program. Once Zenger Farm and its partner farms harvest and pack each box, Dashers carry it from the farm to the participant's door, reaching patients experiencing disabilities, the lack of reliable transportation, or scheduling difficulties that prevent them from attending a distribution. Since the start of their partnership in 2023, Zenger Farm and Project DASH have powered over 20,000 deliveries.
“CSA Partnerships for Health (CSAP4H) participants are managing health conditions with limited financial resources, and can face a range of barriers to accessing the farm-fresh, local food we provide, including transportation and mobility,” said Kelly Randolph, Program Manager, CSAP4H at Friends of Zenger Farm. “Project DASH gives us a reliable, sustainable way to deliver that food directly to their homes.”
"Zenger Farm and Multnomah County built a program that treats food as part of care," said Kierra Phifer, Head of West Public Policy at DoorDash. "We're proud that Project DASH can extend their reach in the community. Home delivery is what turns a clinician's recommendation into produce on someone's counter — every week, for as long as the prescription runs. There are a lot more programs like this one waiting to be built, and logistics shouldn't be the reason they aren't. We’d like to be the reason they are.”
“Too many families in East Portland and across Oregon are one missed paycheck, shift or broken-down car from going hungry,” said Representative Lamar Wise (HD-48). “I know what that’s like to count on food assistance programs, and it was programs like those offered by Zenger Farm that supported me when I needed it most. I'm proud to stand with Zenger Farm and DoorDash in supporting this work to show Oregonians that we’re serious about driving lasting impact in our communities."
