Full Circle Farm goes on record for Local Farms, Healthy Kids

This January 2008, Full Circle farmer Andrew Stout took a day out from farm work in Carnation to join other farmers, parents and community advocates in Olympia to support legislation that would improve the connections between local farms and schools, state institutions and food banks.

As we've described before in this space, getting healthy, fresh foods to people in our communities, especially kids and those in need, was a founding value for Full Circle. We are very excited about the fact that legislators in Olympia are considering this "win-win" legislation designed to expand the opportunities for local farms to feed local kids fresh healthy food. The bills, HB2798 in the House and SB6483 in the Senate were introduced by Representative Eric Pettigrew of Seattle and Senator Brian Hatfield of Grays Harbor and have garnered a broad list of cosponsors in both the House and Senate.

The legislation is designed to:
Get Good Food Into the Lunchroom - by establishing a "Farm to School" program that will facilitate purchasing of Washington-grown farm products by Washington schools and creating a fresh food snack program that will help schools with high numbers of low-income students purchase Washington-grown fruits and vegetables.

Create New Markets for Local Farmers - by easing state procurement restrictions and red tape to better enable school districts and other state entities and agencies to choose local food. This kind of policy has been adopted in other states and will help to jumpstart farm to school connections; create new, stable markets for farmers; and enhance economic vitality in rural communities.

Helping Those Who Need It Most - by making it easier for low-income families to purchase locally grown food. The bill would make it easier for farmers markets to accept food stamps, increase funding of the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, and create pilot projects for food banks to purchase fresh food directly from Washington farms.

The legislation has been endorsed by a veritable "who's who" of local food, farming, and children's organizations, community leaders and businesses including: the Washington State PTA, the Washington Farm Bureau, PCC Natural Markets, Odessa Brown Children's Clinic, The Children's Alliance, Cascade Harvest Coalition, Northwest Harvest, Tilth Producers and Heifer International as well as the Washington Environmental Council (WEC) who is spearheading the campaign for passage.

You can see if your legislators are on board at www.leg.wa.gov/legislature. You can also check WEC's website, www.wecprotects.org, for the latest news.

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