Reforming the Farm Bill to Promote Healthy School Food
The debate in Congress is heating up around the reauthorization of the Farm Bill, which not only addresses agriculture policy but also covers many important nutrition issues.
HSC supports reforming the Farm Bill because we understand that an agriculture policy that supports healthy sustainably grown food is important for children's nutrition both in and out of school. To have an impact on what children eat at school, we're encouraging our congressional leaders to authorize a Farm Bill that will:
Establish Appropriate Standards for Food Offered in Schools. The Farm Bill should authorize the USDA to develop standards for all food offered in schools, not only those foods available from school lunch in the cafeteria. Food sold in vending machines, school stores, and cafeteria a la carte lines are currently not subject to any minimum nutrition standards.
Promote Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Intake. Programs that have been successful in increasing children's fruit and vegetable consumption – thereby reducing their risk of disease and providing the nutrition they need to learn – need funding to reach students in need.
Support Healthy School Food Programs. The Farm Bill has the opportunity to support fresh, healthy food for children's lunch while also supporting healthy local agriculture systems. Initiatives to do this include farm to school grant programs and clarification of language that will allow school districts to specify local or regional foods in their bidding process.
The Farm Bill is one of the largest and most complex pieces of federal legislation in place today, making it a powerful force in shaping our food and nutrition practices. It's exciting to consider the tremendous potential for change in these sensible yet innovative reforms. Contact your senators and representatives today and ask them to authorize a farm bill that supports healthy food in schools!
Save the Date: Cooking up Change!
We are pleased to announce that Cooking up Change, the annual benefit supporting the Healthy Schools Campaign, will take place this October
18 at Salvage One, a unique and historical architectural space in Chicago.
Please join us as we celebrate good friends, good food and good works!
This year, Healthy Schools Campaign is adding a new twist to our annual
celebration: a Healthy Cooking Contest for high school students enrolled in the Chicago Public Schools Culinary Arts Program.
Guests at Cooking up Change will have the opportunity to taste the students’ award-winning creations as they mingle with friends, colleagues and celebrity judges, and cast a ballot for a special healthy cooking contest audience award.
The benefit has sold out for the past two years, so if you would like to order your tickets now to guarantee a spot, click here.
To learn more about joining the Cooking up Change Host Committee, becoming a Cooking up Change sponsor, or donating auction items, please contact Claire Marcy at (312) 419-1810 or claire@healthyschoolscampaign.org.
HSC Team Trains for The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon
The countdown continues as our team of athletes running The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon on October 7 prepares for this world class athletic event. Our 35 runners supporting Healthy Schools Campaign have raised over $6,600 to date, 25 percent toward our goal of $26,200. Please consider supporting the HSC team at any dollar level!
If you are already registered for this race, you can still join our team. For more information, contact cheryl@healthyschoolscampaign.org
Thanks to Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s weekly news quiz show Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! for serving as our Honorary Team Captain, and to School Health Corporation for its generous support of our marathon team.
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