[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1655 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 1655

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                     November 16, 2010.
Whereas Farm to School programs of varying scale are currently operational in 
        over 9,700 schools in all 50 States;
Whereas Farm to School programs connect schools and local farms in order to 
        serve healthier meals in school cafeterias;
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;
Whereas Farm to School programs facilitate the purchase of local food for school 
        meals;
Whereas Farm to School programs can benefit small and mid-sized agricultural 
        producers by providing access to consistent markets;
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 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, 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 Farm to School programs are popular among children and can increase 
        school lunch participation ranging from 3 percent to 16 percent for all 
        meals; 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 the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses support for designation of ``National Farm to School 
        Month'';
            (2) encourages schools and local education agencies to use local 
        produce in meals; and
            (3) 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.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.