IMPROVE SCHOOL MEALS THROUGH FARM TO SCHOOL POLICY!
Two amazing videos have just emerged on to the scene that inform and empower while entertaining. Produced by Parent Earth in collaboration with One Tray, these short pieces are aimed towards mobilizing support around an ongoing initiative to change federal policy that dictates what we serve in our children’s lunchroom.
The Child Nutrition Act determines what more than 30 million children eat at school five days a week, 180 days a year. School meals are a critical entry point for improving children’s health. Today, more than 30 percent of children are overweight or obese, and for some low-income children, school food accounts for more than half of their daily calories. Congress begins spring recess on March 26, so this is a critical time to rally support around the upcoming reauthorization of the bill, and to campaign for increased funding in our lunchrooms.
The clips explain the significance that school food has in our children’s diets and aim to ensure that the calories consumed are healthy ones. Farm to School policies are one way in which we can respond to the problem by linking schools cafeterias with local farms.
“The videos are timely and clear: if you want a healthier America, start by taking action at OneTray.org. Every child, no matter her family income or school district, deserves a nourishing meal,” says Debra Eschmeyer of the National Farm to School Network. "Healthy, local, sustainably produced school food can improve the health of kids, support farmers and bolster local economies. Farm to School is a win-win for everyone.”
So enjoy these videos and then take action by signing the petition at OneTray.
“Lunch Encounters of the Third Kind,” is a spoof of Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
“Priceless: School Lunch,” a MasterCard parody.
ABOUT ONE TRAY
One Tray is a national campaign to improve child nutrition by encouraging a more direct connection between local farms and federal nutrition. One Tray symbolizes the health of our children, the state of our food system, and the potential in providing every child the opportunity to succeed. One tray equals our future. Every four or five years, an opportunity arises for all concerned with the health of our nation’s children to evaluate, defend, and improve federal Child Nutrition programs. Three national organizations have joined forces to advocate for more healthful, more sustainably produced and regionally sourced school food that can improve the health of kids, develop new marketing opportunities for farmers, and support the local economy. The time is now to nourish the nation one tray at a time. www.onetray.org
Founded in 2009, Parent Earth (www.ParentEarth.com) uses online video to help parents shop, cook, grow and eat good healthy food with their kids. Parent Earth seeks out partnership opportunities with like-minded organizations and companies to create video campaigns with a goal of improving the quality of the food our children eat and creating a better world for them to grow up in.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL FARM TO SCHOOL NETWORK
The National Farm to School Network improves student health by reducing childhood obesity, supports community-based food systems, and strengthens family farms. The Network is a collaborative effort of the Center for Food & Justice, Occidental College, and the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC). With funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Network coordinates, promotes, and expands the farm to school movement at the state, regional, and national levels. Eight regional lead agencies and national staff provide free training and technical assistance, information services, networking, and support for policy, media, and marketing activities. www.farmtoschool.org
photo by peppergrass via flickr ccl
