September School Garden Slowdown
Join Slow Food USA (@SlowFoodUSA) and the National Farm to School Network (@farmtoschool) for a tweet chat about #schoolgardens & #CNR2015 on Wednesday September 16 at 2pm ET using the #gardens4CNR
{{ image(3683, {“class”: “flor round”, “width”:280, “height”:210,”method”: “img”}) }}Description: From containers in the classroom to multi-acre farms, school gardens are sprouting up in every type of community around the country. These green spaces are providing opportunities for kids to connect with food from the soil up, and in turn, have proven to be an effective tool for helping kids learn to try and like new foods. Simply put, hands-on agriculture and nutrition education are helping shape a healthier next generation. This month, Congress has the opportunity to show its support for school gardens and other farm to school programs as it debates Child Nutrition Reauthorization. Join Slow Food USA and the National Farm to School Network for a tweet chat on Wednesday, September 16 from 2pm-3pm EDT to discuss school gardens, CNR, and how policy is supporting healthier kids.
Hashtag: #gardens4CNR
{{ image(3684, {“class”: “flol round”, “width”:210, “height”:280,”method”: “img”}) }}In 2012, federal school food programs helped provide free or low-cost school meals to more than 31 million children in more than 100,000 public and non-profit, private schools. This September, the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 will expire. The historic 2010 Act raised the bar on school food nutrition by calling for more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat and fat-free dairy products.
Despite undeniable success, there is push back in Congress and from the School Nutrition Association calling for school district nutrition implementation waivers and delaying implementation of important parts of the Act.
Our children are our most important resource. For their present and future health and well-being, let’s make sure we hold the line on, and advance, healthy school food. And, while we are at it, let’s get a CNR that also increases support of local farms through school food procurement. SFUSA Executive Director, Richard McCarthy, sent our SFUSA CNR platform to Congressional leaders. In it, Slow Food USA calls for a strong 2015 CNR that will:
- Work to end child hunger and food insecurity in America;
- Ensure that all our children have year-round access to high-quality, nutritious foods – local and regional whenever possible – in their schools and through other child nutrition programs;
- Maintain nutrition standards and support high-quality nutrition education to help reduce obesity and diet-related disease and ensure productive, healthy generations to come; and
- Support and strengthen regional farm and food economies through child nutrition procurement policy, thereby preserving farmland, supporting small and mid-scale family farms, and mitigating environmental impact.
You can see the full Slow Food USA CNR platform here.
Join the fight for a strong CNR by sending our message to your Senators and Representatives by e-mail or Facebook. You can find your Senators here and your Representative here.
Consider the message:
{{ image(3685, {“class”: “flor round”, “width”:210, “height”:280,”method”: “img”}) }}I am a constituent and supporter of Slow Food USA, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to good, clean, and fair food and farming. I call upon you to support a strong 2015 Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) that will: make significant progress towards ending child hunger; ensure that all our children have year-round access to high quality, nutritious, local food; maintain nutrition standards and support effective nutrition education; and support and strengthen regional farm and food economies through school food procurement. You can find the Slow Food USA CNR Platform platform here. Thank you for your attention.
