by Danielle Smith, Keystone State News Connection
Schools in Pennsylvania are recognizing October’s National Farm to School Month by serving local produce in their meals.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering $700 million in new funding for the Local Foods for Schools and Local Foods for Child Care programs, across the state and beyond.
Jenny Lester Moffitt, undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said the programs not only ensure students receive nutritious meals but create direct market opportunities for local farmers.
“Farmers that are farming in the region, for them to be able to sell direct to schools, it not just provides healthy food for the kids but it also provides much-needed markets for producers as well,” Lester Moffitt explained.
She pointed out there is a financial advantage for farmers. Direct sales provide farmers with more revenue, and keep those food dollars within local communities. In contrast, when they sell their products to major retail supply chains, they typically receive only about 14 cents for every $2.
Lester Moffitt stressed National Farm to School Month is about more than filling lunch trays, it is an educational opportunity. She urged Pennsylvania schools to incorporate information about healthy foods and how they’re produced into the curriculum.
“Farm to School is also about nutrition education, it’s about agriculture education, it’s about school gardens as well,” Lester Moffitt outlined. “There is, of course, the important part about getting local foods into cafeterias but also it’s about educating students about healthy eating, what’s grown in their region, how food is grown.”
This year, schools in Pennsylvania have received more than $449,000 from the Patrick Leahy Farm to School program for schools in Philadelphia, Exton, Harrisburg, and Pittsburgh.
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Source: bctv
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