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Act Now - Make Farm to School a Reality!
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S. 569 and H.R. 1061
Will you make a call to US Senator Mark Kirk to support Farm to School?
Farm to school is a common sense approach to child nutrition that empowers children and their families to make informed food choices while strengthening the local economy and contributing to vibrant communities. As part of the upcoming Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization, Congress needs to build on the success of farm to school by strengthening and expanding the program's scope and by providing additional mandatory funding.
Bill Basics
The bipartisan Farm to School Act of 2015 - Senate bill 569 and House bill 1061 - will continue and expand upon the successes of the USDA Farm to School Grant Program by:
- Providing flexibility to local school districts to include preschools, summer food service program sites, and after school programs in the USDA Farm to School Grant Program (F2S);
- Increasing annual mandatory funding from $5 million to $15 million to better meet the high demand and need for this funding;
- Improving farm to school participation from beginning, veteran, and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers;
- Enhancing access among tribal schools to farm-fresh and traditional foods, especially from tribal producers; and
- Identifying and eliminating regulatory and other administrative barriers related to the development of farm to school efforts.
To download and print an overview of the Farm to School Act of 2015, see the Farm to School Act of 2015 one pager.
PLEASE CALL ILLINOIS U.S. SENATOR MARK KIRK NOW AND ASK THAT HE CO-SPONSOR S. 569 - THE FARM TO SCHOOL ACT OF 2015!
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Not sure what to say when you call? Here is a suggested script:
"Hi my name is _________, I am a constituent who lives in __________, Illinois. I am calling today to ask that Senator Kirk co-sponsor S. 569 the Farm to School Act of 2015. This act will expand the USDA Farm to School Grant Program by fully including preschools, summer feeding sites and after school programs, and give more resources to the program. Farm to School programs benefit Illinois children and families, communities and farmers. I urge the Senator to co-sponsor and support this very important piece of legislation. Thank you"
Why It Matters
- Over 30 percent of all children in the US are overweight or obese, resulting in more missed school days and poorer academic achievement; obese youth are also at greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, and psychological problems and incur $19,000 more in lifetime medical costs than children of a normal weight, totaling roughly $14 billion in additional medical costs for the country. The Farm to School Grant Program helps children improve their access to and consumption of healthy foods.
- Native American communities face disproportionately high rates of overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Encouraging farm to school partnerships between tribal schools and tribal producers will increase consumption of nutritious traditional foods while also supporting Native farmers and ranchers.
- Farmers and ranchers receive only 16 cents out of every dollar spent on food, down significantly from the 31 cents they received in 1980; rural poverty and jobless rates are consistently higher than urban poverty rates. The Farm to School Grant Program helps combat rural unemployment by boosting farm income through increased marketing opportunities.
The Benefits of Farm to School
Farm to school activities provide a variety of benefits to students, parents, schools, communities, and food producers, including:
- Strengthens children's knowledge of agriculture, food, nutrition,and the environment;
- Increases children's consumption of fruits and vegetables;
- Increases market opportunities for farmers, fishers, ranchers, and local food system entrepreneurs; and
- Supports community and economic development.
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Wes King
Illinois Stewardship Alliance
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