The USDA announced today that Washington is one of eight states selected to participate in a pilot program designed to allow states to purchase unprocessed fruits and vegetables directly from vendors, growers, and other distributors, increasing flexibility for schools to buy locally-grown produce.
From the USDA announcement:
“Providing pilot states with more flexibility in the use of their USDA Foods’ dollars offers states another opportunity to provide schoolchildren with additional fruits and vegetables from within their own communities,” said Kevin Concannon, USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. “When schools invest food dollars into local communities, all of agriculture benefits, including local farmers, ranchers, fishermen, food processors and manufacturers.”
These states were selected based on their demonstrated commitment to farm to school efforts, including prior efforts to increase and promote farm to school programs in the state, the quantity and variety of growers of local fruits and vegetables in the state on a per capita basis, and the degree to which the state contains a sufficient quantity of local educational agencies of various population sizes and geographic locations.
Representative Marcus Riccelli (D-Spokane) was pleased to have circulated a letter in August encouraging the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to apply for the program and his letter was signed by 30 of his colleagues in the State House of Representatives. Click here to read the full letter from Rep. Riccelli, who has been leading a coalition promoting Healthy Farms, Healthy Food and Healthy Kids had this to say:
“As Vice Chair of the Health Care Committee, and a member of the Governor’s Healthiest Next Generation Council, I am committed to promoting healthy eating in our public schools and working to help instill healthy eating habits that can last a lifetime. This grant is one of many steps that can help make a big difference in the lives of our children while investing in our local economy.”