Some new Bills going through Congress that may effect us.

[Farmfresh]

This is NOT meant to be a political discussion, just a bit of information to share. A new bill is going through my State government and also another new one going through National government. Both bills are dealing with urban agriculture in a positive way. Hopefully these bills will make it easier for some of us "town crazies" to do what we do!

National Bill H.R. 4971 wanting to add a Office of Urban Agriculture to the Department of Agriculture.

KC Food Circle on Holsman's Urban Farming Bill

 

[Wifezilla]

"SEC. 11. PROMOTION OF AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS BY AUTHORIZING HIGHER REIMBURSEMENT RATES UNDER SCHOOL LUNCH, SCHOOL BREAKFAST, AND SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAMS.
(a) School Lunch- Section 8 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1757) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(h) The maximum per meal reimbursement rate otherwise applicable to a school shall be increased by 20 percent in the case of any meals consisting in whole or part of foods produced through agricultural education programs that use enrolled students to produce food and provide the food to in-house feeding programs. Agricultural education programs include after-school programs in gardening or agriculture production, agricultural internships teaching practical agricultural activities, and other school activities associated with food production, processing, and preparation..
(b) School Breakfast- Section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(f) Higher Reimbursement Rate for In-House Food Production- The maximum meal reimbursement rate otherwise applicable to a school shall be increased by 20 percent in the case of any breakfasts consisting in whole or part of foods produced through agricultural education programs that use enrolled students to produce food and provide the food to in-house feeding programs. Agricultural education programs include after-school programs in gardening or agriculture production, agricultural internships teaching practical agricultural activities, and other school activities associated with food production, processing, and preparation..
(c) Summer Food Service Program- Section 13(b)(1)(C) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1761(b)(1)(C)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: If the service institution continues during the summer or school vacation an agricultural education program for which the service institution received a higher reimbursement rate under section 8(h) of this Act or section 4(f) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773(f)), the higher rate shall continue to apply to the service institution under this section.."

Ummmm....these are the idiots that are already feeding our kids chicken nuggets and calling it healthy. I am afraid of what they would do with this.

 

[Aidenbaby]

Hopefully, Wife, they'll use it to feed better quality food as it is probably intended to do. Honestly, I don't know how it'll work out. I'm gently pushing my dad to try healthier foods at his school. So far, since he's taken over as principal, they've made strides faster than the public schools but not quite up to where they should have been in the first place like almost all schools. I haven't heard of a single school around here that has a menu I would really feel good about feeding my children.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

any meals consisting in whole or part of foods produced through agricultural education

That's the part that would worry me. How little is "in part". One serving? One ingredient? Put a slice of homegrown tomato on a processed, enriched slice of bread with processed cheese product & mayo made with GMO soybean oil, is that much better?

Hopefully, yes, they will use it for actual meals & to make good progress. I don't see it happening in my area any time soon, though.

 

[Wifezilla]

Aidenbaby, you may want to check out this story that Hattie posted on TheEasyGarden...

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=28206

 

[Aidenbaby]

It kills me that basically what a lot of the schools are saying is that as long as they are meeting the guidelines that that is good enough. What about surpassing those guidelines and raising the bar against competitive schools? I know a lot of the people that are against serving the healthier foods are saying things like, "they won't eat the food if we don't serve it smothered in gravy, breaded or fried". Really?? That's your argument? If there is nothing else to eat I guarantee they'll eat the healthy stuff. My kids balked a little when I started serving them salads on occasion for lunch but when they realized that I was only making one meal for lunch that was the end to the arguments. They either eat it or go hungry (almost never).

 

[noobiechickenlady]

YEAH!!!

They are after all, kids. And the kids that they are most worried about, the lower income kids, will certainly not balk if that grilled chicken salad is the only thing they will have to eat all day.

It chaps my hide that the kids who need good nutrition the most are relying on a system that continuously refuses to provide that good nutrition. What's the point of eating one or two meals a day if they are junk meals?

 

[partyfowl]

I recently had lunch with my 8 y/o son at his rural country school. I LOVE this school, I actually went there also from K-13. The teachers remembers me and it feels like a big family! But I REFUSE, to let him eat school lunch, it cost $3.00. On that day the had a "taco stick" fruit pop slushy thing and a milk. OMG for 3 bucks! But this is what is in their budget for daily meals. They have a fancy computer the "tells" thems the correct nutritional value needed, then, spits out a menu for the week. No person plans the menu, a computer does. And as long as they are getting their daily value, it seems like their satisfied. Well my 8 y/o kid eats like a high school foot ball player on steriods! And he starved all day until I started making him lunch. No computer can tell if your kids is full, they are not getting the "daily value" if they are still starving after the meal! I believe It is up the parents to monitor the kids lunch, because not to much good has come from the government!!

 

[Aidenbaby]

See, that's the other part I don't understand. Why they keep saying that they can't provide a healthy lunch on the funding they have. If I can feed a family of 4 AND have leftovers with a meal that cost less than $10, why can't the schools accomplish the same? I'm talking a bag of frozen veggies or two, some mashed potatoes (including milk, butter, herbs and spices), and a roasted chicken with gravy made from the leavings. Or meatloaf (with green peppers, onions, herbs and spices) with cauliflower faux-tatoes and more veggies.

 

[Aidenbaby]

I talked to my dad and he said that it sounds like they are being WAY too harsh. There are certain things that federally supported schools have to do foodwise but it doesn't sound like she was going against this by any means. I half-jokingly told him that if his school was looking for a new 7th grade english teacher, she would make a fantastic addition. He said he agreed but unfortunately, with the economy, he was struggling to keep the ones he has.

BTW, if anyone in Littleton, CO is looking for a school that truly cares about it's students, contact Collegiate Academy of Colorado. Mike Prosser is the elementary school principal and he's defintely someone I look up to on a daily basis (and not just becasue he's my dad).