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 Edu-
cation and Labor 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for designation of October as ‘‘National 
Farm to School Month’’. 
Whereas Farm to School programs of varying scale are cur-
rently 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 cafe-
terias, 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 im-
provements in children’s diets both in school and at 
home; 
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•HRES 1655 IH 
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 impor-
tant for beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers as 
schools provide a consistent and secure customer base; 
Whereas Farm to School programs can benefit local econo-
mies, 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 secu-
rity; 
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 ac-
cess 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 Preven-
tion; 
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 con-
sumption 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 cal-
ories; 
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 chil-
dren 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 
Resolved, That— 
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(1) it is the sense of the House of Representa-
tives that— 
(A) Farm to School programs should be 
recognized as a proven effective strategy that 
can provide immediate and long-term benefits 
to child health, small and medium-sized agricul-
tural producer income, and community eco-
nomic development; and 
(B) the Federal Government should part-
ner in assisting schools and local educational 
agencies with planning, technical assistance, 
and implementation of Farm to School pro-
grams; and 
(2) the House of Representatives— 
(A) expresses support for designation of 
‘‘National Farm to School Month’’; 
(B) encourages schools and local education 
agencies to use local produce in meals; and 
(C) encourages schools, farmers and farm 
groups, local businesses, nonprofit institutions, 
churches, cities, State governments, and other 
local groups to raise awareness of Farm to 
School efforts in their communities. 
Æ 
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