Buy local provision for public nutrition programs?

Local agriculture and public nutrition North Jersey.com

Sunday, February 7, 2010
BY CHARLES KUPERUS
The Record
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IMPROVING the well-being of our country’s schoolchildren by altering the choices of the food they eat is in the hands of our nation’s leaders. As Congress considers reauthorizing the Child Nutrition Act, it has the opportunity to direct meaningful change that can improve the diet of America’s young people and help fruit and vegetable farmers by creating a new market for their products.

To do this, language must be included in the legislation requiring appropriate amounts of fruits and vegetables to be served for school breakfast and lunch, to bring these programs in line with federal dietary guidelines. In addition, including a "buy local first" provision would allow farmers nearby to play a more prominent role in supplying nutritious food, while strengthening the local agricultural industry. With these changes, Congress would initiate a radical improvement that would affect communities across America in a positive way.

If you look at trends that focus on children’s health, you can see that continuing current programs without change is unacceptable. In 1980, 6.5 percent of children 6 to 11 were considered obese; today that number is almost 20 percent. In the 12-to-19-year old age group, 18 percent are obese, up from 5 percent in 1980. There are numerous studies that illustrate the consequences to a young person’s health: risk for cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and psychological stress.

Eating right, moving more and providing nutrition education are critical components of a healthy lifestyle for young people.

Big backers

First lady Michelle Obama chose limiting childhood obesity as an issue she is willing to champion, even turning part of the White House lawn into a vegetable garden. In the 2008 farm bill, Congress expanded the U.S. Department of Agriculture Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program by increasing funding for the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables. This program, now available in 50 states, is targeted at schools that have more than 50 percent of the enrolled students qualifying for free or reduced meals in the National School Lunch Program.

Additionally, 21 states have adopted policies that support utilization of farm products in schools; setting the foundation for innovative measures to connect students with local agriculture. There are examples across the country of how school districts have worked with local farmers to bring their farms’ bounty into the school cafeteria and share with students where and how the food is grown. This provides the double benefit of improving nutrition while teaching young people about the importance of having viable agriculture close by.

Surely, more needs to be done. We can build on these good efforts and implement beneficial changes in every school in America.

During the past 60 years, millions of irreplaceable farm and ranch acres have been converted to other uses in the United States. Much of this land is developed, especially on the East Coast, where nearly 50 percent of the farmland acres were lost. While the population has grown, leading to more schools, the connection to agriculture has diminished. A generation ago, someone could speak about a relative or friend who earned a living by farming. Today, many children would not be able to name a farmer and have never experienced a day on the farm. This is sad; children should be enlightened as to how food is grown.

Farm operators need to have hope for an economically stable business climate and a supportive public policy framework allowing them to profit. This is better than the alternative, selling their land and abandoning their farms.

In fiscal year 2008, USDA spent $14.6 billion on the five major programs that primarily serve the nutritional needs of children. Utilizing a portion of the billions of dollars spent by connecting regional agriculture as a local and economical food source for these programs will help fuel the transformation of the neighboring agriculture. This is especially true in densely populated areas where agricultural land is at a higher risk of development.

A policy change of this scale will help save productive farmland, keep farmers in business and provide nutritious food to our children; important policy objectives that have national importance. It is hoped that this change would influence positive lifelong dietary habits.

Charles Kuperus, a farmer from Sussex, served as the state’s secretary of agriculture from 2001 to 2008.

IMPROVING the well-being of our country’s schoolchildren by altering the choices of the food they eat is in the hands of our nation’s leaders. As Congress considers reauthorizing the Child Nutrition Act, it has the opportunity to direct meaningful change that can improve the diet of America’s young people and help fruit and vegetable farmers by creating a new market for their products.

To do this, language must be included in the legislation requiring appropriate amounts of fruits and vegetables to be served for school breakfast and lunch, to bring these programs in line with federal dietary guidelines. In addition, including a "buy local first" provision would allow farmers nearby to play a more prominent role in supplying nutritious food, while strengthening the local agricultural industry. With these changes, Congress would initiate a radical improvement that would affect communities across America in a positive way.

If you look at trends that focus on children’s health, you can see that continuing current programs without change is unacceptable. In 1980, 6.5 percent of children 6 to 11 were considered obese; today that number is almost 20 percent. In the 12-to-19-year old age group, 18 percent are obese, up from 5 percent in 1980. There are numerous studies that illustrate the consequences to a young person’s health: risk for cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and psychological stress.

Eating right, moving more and providing nutrition education are critical components of a healthy lifestyle for young people.

Big backers

First lady Michelle Obama chose limiting childhood obesity as an issue she is willing to champion, even turning part of the White House lawn into a vegetable garden. In the 2008 farm bill, Congress expanded the U.S. Department of Agriculture Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program by increasing funding for the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables. This program, now available in 50 states, is targeted at schools that have more than 50 percent of the enrolled students qualifying for free or reduced meals in the National School Lunch Program.

Additionally, 21 states have adopted policies that support utilization of farm products in schools; setting the foundation for innovative measures to connect students with local agriculture. There are examples across the country of how school districts have worked with local farmers to bring their farms’ bounty into the school cafeteria and share with students where and how the food is grown. This provides the double benefit of improving nutrition while teaching young people about the importance of having viable agriculture close by.

Surely, more needs to be done. We can build on these good efforts and implement beneficial changes in every school in America.

During the past 60 years, millions of irreplaceable farm and ranch acres have been converted to other uses in the United States. Much of this land is developed, especially on the East Coast, where nearly 50 percent of the farmland acres were lost. While the population has grown, leading to more schools, the connection to agriculture has diminished. A generation ago, someone could speak about a relative or friend who earned a living by farming. Today, many children would not be able to name a farmer and have never experienced a day on the farm. This is sad; children should be enlightened as to how food is grown.

Farm operators need to have hope for an economically stable business climate and a supportive public policy framework allowing them to profit. This is better than the alternative, selling their land and abandoning their farms.

In fiscal year 2008, USDA spent $14.6 billion on the five major programs that primarily serve the nutritional needs of children. Utilizing a portion of the billions of dollars spent by connecting regional agriculture as a local and economical food source for these programs will help fuel the transformation of the neighboring agriculture. This is especially true in densely populated areas where agricultural land is at a higher risk of development.

A policy change of this scale will help save productive farmland, keep farmers in business and provide nutritious food to our children; important policy objectives that have national importance. It is hoped that this change would influence positive lifelong dietary habits.

Charles Kuperus, a farmer from Sussex, served as the state’s secretary of agriculture from 2001 to 2008.