Creating the 'food as medicine' category with Ashley Tyrner from FarmboxRX
21 May 2024 (4 months ago)
- Ashley Tyrner is the founder and CEO of Farmbox RX, a patient engagement company that uses food as medicine for food as engagement within healthcare.
- Farmbox RX created the category of 'food as medicine' within healthcare.
- Farmbox RX started as a direct-to-consumer (DTC) grocery service.
- Farmbox RX now works with over 90 health plans across the country to bring 'food as medicine' to people in need.
- People with certain chronic diseases can manage their care through their diet.
- Farmbox RX provides people with the healthy produce they need, even if they don't have access or money.
- Health plans are footing the bill for Farmbox RX's services.
- FarmboxRX uses food as a tool to engage and incentivize members of health plans to participate in preventative care like diabetic eye exams, mammograms, and colonoscopies.
- Members are typically low-income, food insecure, and have chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.
- FarmboxRX provides culturally appropriate boxes of food that are tailored to each member's chronic condition and dietary needs.
- Health literacy materials are included in each box to educate members about their condition and how to access care.
- FarmboxRX connects members to other care resources, such as care managers and transportation companies.
- FarmboxRX was founded 10 years ago as a direct-to-consumer entity to address food insecurity and eradicate food deserts.
- In 2020, the company entered the healthcare market after policy changes allowed health plans to offer food and produce to members with certain chronic conditions.
- Health plans are interested in using food as a tool for engagement because it helps them manage the care of their members and get them to participate in preventative care.
- FarmboxRX believes that low-income individuals do want to be healthy, but they often lack the affordability, accessibility, and knowledge to do so.
- By solving these challenges, FarmboxRX empowers members to take control of their health.
- Ashley Tyrner, the co-founder of FarmboxRX, shares her experience of living in a food desert while pregnant 14 years ago.
- She highlights the challenges faced by individuals with limited access to fresh produce due to socioeconomic issues.
- The early days of FarmboxRX involved pioneering the shipping of fresh produce to customers' doorsteps via FedEx or UPS.
- It took about three years to figure out how to ship produce in all seasons while maintaining quality.
- Certain foods cannot be shipped together due to ethylene gas, which can cause faster ripening.
- Shipping fresh produce requires careful consideration of factors such as temperature, packaging, and compatibility of different foods.
- FarmboxRX had to overcome challenges related to shipping produce to different regions during different seasons.
- Some foods, like bananas and oranges, cannot be shipped together as they release ethylene gas, which speeds up ripening.
- The company developed methods to mitigate ethylene gas and ensure the quality of the produce in their boxes.
- FarmboxRX aims to eliminate food deserts and provide healthy produce to underserved communities.
- Initially, investors wanted FarmboxRX to become a meal kit service, but the company stayed true to its mission.
- FarmboxRX gained traction by partnering with health plans to offer produce as a benefit to their members, generating revenue solely through health plans.
- The company's success lies in demonstrating positive outcomes, such as driving people into preventative screenings through the use of food as an engagement tool.
- FarmboxRX transitioned from offering direct-to-consumer services to focusing on the 'food as medicine' category, requiring a shift in their revenue model and operational processes.
- FarmboxRX, founded by Ashley Tyrner, provides a "food as medicine" program that experienced a surge in its direct-to-consumer business during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The company transitioned to a B2B model, marketing to health plans and government contracts, requiring a new team and compliance with healthcare regulations.
- Despite challenges in raising capital, FarmboxRX bootstrapped its operations and achieved profitability without external funding.
- FarmboxRX created its own category in healthcare, maintaining control over its vision and direction without investor influence.
- The company generates a return on investment for health plans by engaging patients in quality outcomes like mammograms and diabetic eye exams.
- FarmboxRX seeks investors to support its next phase of growth and expansion.
- Partnered with one of the largest produce distributors in the country to handle operations.
- Distributor sources all the produce, packs the boxes, and FedEx picks up and delivers the boxes.
- Utilizes the existing food logistics infrastructure for produce in the country.
- Operates eight different distribution centers in different parts of the country to ensure proximity to members.
- FedEx handles all deliveries, ensuring the boxes are out of the cold chain for a maximum of a day and a half before reaching the member's door.
- Ashley Tyrner, the founder of FarmboxRX, came from a unique background as a single mother on food stamps.
- She was inspired to start FarmboxRX to address the problem of food insecurity and lack of access to healthy food.
- Despite her initial concerns and worries about the uncertainty of entrepreneurship, she decided to take the leap and pursue her passion for providing healthy food to those in need.
- Ashley Tyrner, a single mother without a college degree, founded FarmboxRX despite facing challenges.
- Tyrner possesses an entrepreneurial spirit and used creativity to make money, like selling Beanie Babies during the craze.
- She values perseverance and resourcefulness, not letting obstacles hinder her success.
- Tyrner chose New York for FarmboxRX due to its established delivery infrastructure.
- Her fashion industry experience taught her the importance of hard work and independence, which she applied to entrepreneurship.
- As a leader, Tyrner demands excellence but also values diverse backgrounds and skills, prioritizing employee well-being and company success.
- She emphasizes the significance of the "food as medicine" movement in healthcare and acknowledges the potential impact of failure on millions of people.
- Tyrner is open to learning from other food companies and exploring new ideas to enhance her business.
- The pandemic pushed people who never shopped online before to shop online.
- Online shopping for groceries has become a vital option for those who lack accessibility, such as the homebound and those without transportation.
- The sudden increase in online grocery shopping led to the allowance of SNAP and EBT cards as a form of payment online.
- There will always be shoppers who prefer to pick out their own groceries, but online shopping has changed the lives of those who need accessibility.
- Access to technology and the internet remains a challenge for some populations.
- FarmboxRX is looking to expand within other health plans, as the big national plans cover a massive percentage of the country and they have only reached a small portion of that market.
- They see themselves as a patient or member engagement company and are expanding their product line to include engagement products such as health risk appraisals and mail-order pharmacy sign-ups.
- Their growth path is expanding in being a member and patient engagement company.
- Ashley Tyrner, the founder of FarmboxRX, discussed her fundraising journey.
- Investors wanted FarmboxRX to pivot into a meal kit company, but Tyrner refused as she believed in her original vision.
- Tyrner highlighted the importance of finding investors who have experience in the industry you're trying to build in.
- The pandemic shifted the way people get groceries, opening up opportunities for companies like FarmboxRX to provide fresh produce to people in food deserts.
- FarmboxRX accepts SNAP and EBT payments, making it easier for people with low incomes to access healthy food.
- The pandemic accelerated the growth of FarmboxRX by allowing them to adopt a new business model.
- SNAP can now be used for online groceries, increasing access to marginalized communities.
- Healthcare plans are working with communities to provide affordable and accessible healthcare options, including nudging people to make healthier choices through messaging in food boxes.
- Creative ways of using patient data, such as sending reminders for medical appointments in food boxes, can help people be more proactive about their health.
- FarmboxRX is looking to take on funding and scale up its operations.
- Different foods cannot be shipped at different times of the year due to biological factors, such as the release of gases from bananas.