IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1655 

Expressing support for designation of October as ‘‘National Farm to School 

Month’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 

Mr. HOLT (for himself, Ms. MCCOLLUM, and Mr. BLUMENAUER) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for designation of October as ‘‘National 

Farm to School Month’’. 

Whereas Farm to School programs of varying scale are currently operational in over 8,900 schools in all 50 States; 

Whereas Farm to School programs connect schools and local 

farms in order to serve healthier meals in school cafeterias, improve student nutrition, and provide agriculture, 

health, and nutrition education; 

Whereas Farm to School programs often have experiential 

education components that can lead to permanent improvements in children’s diets both in school and at 

home; 


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Whereas Farm to School programs facilitate the purchase of 

local food for school meals, thus increasing local farm 

sales and stimulating local economies; 

Whereas Farm to School programs can benefit small and 

mid-sized agricultural producers by providing access to 

consistent markets and the planning and organization 

skills to expand to other institutional customers; 

Whereas Farm to School programs can be particularly important for beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers as 

schools provide a consistent and secure customer base; 

Whereas Farm to School programs can benefit local economies, for every $1 spent on local foods in schools, $1 to 

$3 circulate in the local economy; 

Whereas one-third of children in the United States are now 

obese or overweight, and over the past 3 decades, obesity 

rates have quadrupled in 6- to 11-year-olds and tripled 

in 12- to 19-year-olds according to the most recent data 

from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 

National Health and Nutrition Examination survey; 

Whereas more than 9,000,000 young adults (25 percent) are 

too overweight to join the United States Armed Forces, 

making children’s obesity rates a matter of national security; 

Whereas United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

data shows that only 2 percent of children meet the Food 

Guide Pyramid serving recommendations; 

Whereas communities with high levels of poverty have less access to fresh fruits and vegetables than higher-income 

communities; 

Whereas increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables 

is 1 of 6 major strategies to prevent and control obesity, 


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according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 

Whereas Farm to School programs can increase children’s 

daily intake of fresh fruits and vegetables and studies 

have demonstrated that children in schools with an active 

Farm to School program increased their average consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables by 1 or more 

servings per day; 

Whereas 31,000,000 children eat school food 5 days a week, 

180 days a year, and for many of these children, school 

food programs provide more than half of their daily calories; 

Whereas approximately 60 percent of students in the United 

States are eligible to receive free or reduced-price school 

lunches; 

Whereas Farm to School programs are popular among children and can increase school lunch participation ranging 

from 3 percent to 16 percent for all meals; 

Whereas the National School Lunch Program established 

under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 

has potential to provide fresher and healthier foods to 

millions of children in the United States; 

Whereas Farm to School programs decrease the distance food 

travels to schools, which can reduce the energy used in 

transportation; and 

Whereas the month of October would be an appropriate 

month to designate as ‘‘National Farm to School 

Month’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 


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1 (1) it is the sense of the House of Representa2 tives that— 

3 (A) Farm to School programs should be 

4 recognized as a proven effective strategy that 

5 can provide immediate and long-term benefits 

6 to child health, small and medium-sized agricul7 tural producer income, and community eco8 nomic development; and 

9 (B) the Federal Government should part10 ner in assisting schools and local educational 

11 agencies with planning, technical assistance, 

12 and implementation of Farm to School pro13 grams; and 

14 (2) the House of Representatives— 

15 (A) expresses support for designation of 

16 ‘‘National Farm to School Month’’; 

17 (B) encourages schools and local education 

18 agencies to use local produce in meals; and 

19 (C) encourages schools, farmers and farm 

20 groups, local businesses, nonprofit institutions, 

21 churches, cities, State governments, and other 

22 local groups to raise awareness of Farm to 

23 School efforts in their communities. 

Æ 


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