Local farms, healthy kids

Making it easier for schools to buy from local farmers

For students in many Washington schools, school lunch is about to become healthier and fresher – thanks to a new proposal from Senate Democrats.

With childhood obesity rates skyrocketing, and low-income students not receiving proper nutrition, Sen. Brian Hatfield’s “Local Farms Healthy Kids” bill will get healthy food to the kids that need it most.

Currently there are restrictions in place that make it difficult for schools and other institutions to purchase from local farmers, forcing them to purchase from large distributors. This increases wasteful packaging, as well as refrigeration, storage, and freight costs.

Hatfield’s proposal, Senate Bill 6483, eases restrictions in place that make it difficult for schools to buy healthy food from local farmers, and helps food banks purchase fresh food directly from local farms. By providing fresh locally grown food to schools, the students will be presented with healthier food, which will help curb the growing childhood obesity problem, and promote healthy eating habits for years to come.

The bill will help not only the health of our children by ensuring they get enough energy to get through the day, but also the health of the economy. The program will provide a sustainable and reliable market for local farmers, which will help sustain farmlands and local farming communities.

By aligning schools to specific farmers, a connection will grow between the people growing the food and the children eating the food.

The bill has brought the agricultural and environmental communities together in the shared belief that Washington farmers should feed Washington people, and that a healthy school lunch may be the only chance many students have for a healthy meal throughout the day.

Click here for more education legislation from Senate Democrats.