| School lunch programs have been quite the hot topic | | | | quality foods? |
| in the media lately. Tom Colicchio, a celebrity chef on | | | | School Gardens and Local Farms |
| Bravo's Top Chef and restaurant owner, is | | | | Money is a powerful motivation. Integration of |
| championing the proposed Improving Nutrition for | | | | resources is a powerful solution. According to the |
| America's Children Act of 2010 (H.R. 5504) and | | | | official website of the Committee on Education and |
| recently testified before the House to do so. In early | | | | Labor, the Improving Nutrition for America's Children |
| June, Rachel Ray appeared before the House on | | | | Act will both call in resources from outside the school |
| behalf of the same bill. If passed, the Improving | | | | system and build up resources within the school |
| Nutrition for America's Children Act could potentially | | | | system. The site lists this as one of the bill's goals, |
| increase access to nutrition for many children. | | | | "Connect more children to healthy produce from local |
| Why H.R. 5504 is Important? | | | | farms by helping communities establish local farm to |
| We know there is a correlation between nutrition and | | | | school networks, establish school gardens and use |
| academic success. However, knowledge without | | | | more local foods in school cafeterias." This could be |
| action is like a seed without soil, water or light - | | | | wonderful news for both schools and local farmers. |
| locked potential. This bill offers a blueprint for the | | | | Integrating school gardens into both the culture of a |
| actualization of that which we already know. This | | | | school and the curriculum of an agricultural program, |
| "actualization" could be the difference between a | | | | and for that matter, building or bolstering agricultural |
| malnourished child and a balanced child with a healthy | | | | programs, are strong moves toward amending the |
| and properly tended body and mind. The question is | | | | nutritional deficit of America's children. The |
| how will it work? | | | | far-reaching benefits of the proposed Improving |
| Money | | | | Nutrition for America's Children Act of 2010 are |
| To begin with, the bill proposes increased funding for | | | | attractive for their holistic approach to a complex |
| school lunch programs. Currently, schools are | | | | problem. Increased financial aid, formalized support for |
| reimbursed a certain amount for each kind of meal | | | | local farmers, networking with regard to schools and |
| they serve - free, reduced-price or full-price meals. | | | | communities, and school gardens all seem like rich |
| With more money per meal in reimbursements | | | | ideas. Here's hoping the seeds take root. |
| schools can potentially invest in better food. Better | | | | Tom Colicchio, in his testimony before the House said: |
| food, as research suggests, means better brain and | | | | "I hear people say, 'we'd like to improve the school |
| body development. Better brain development can | | | | lunch program, but the kids, all they want to do is |
| potentially mean better grades, and the benefits | | | | eat pizza and burgers. If we give them good food, |
| continue to ripple out. This is the first per-meal | | | | they won't eat'. Come people, we're adults here. It's |
| increase in thirty years, which is significant. However, | | | | up to us to do better." We couldn't agree more here |
| the increase is six cents per meal. If the bill passes, | | | | at Planting Progress. It's up to us to do better. All of |
| will that be enough? Will schools be able to use the | | | | us. |
| increased funds to expand their own access to high | | | | |