Proclamation to Governor Heineman- signing Thursday September 10 at State Capital
We are seeking recognition for the month of
October to be celebrated as Farm to School Month in the state of Nebraska:
- WHEREAS Nebraska will annually celebrate Farm to School month during the month of October; and
- WHEREAS the Nebraska Farm to School program, charged by the Center for Rural Affairs of Lyons, Nebraska, with funding from Nebraska Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program– Farm Bill will offer a statewide Farm to School Summit on October 22, 2014 in Aurora, NE, gathering community, school, and agriculture stakeholders together in an effort to bring local and healthy foods to schools; and
- WHEREAS the Nebraska Farm to School program, charged by the Loup Basin RC&D Council, in partnership with the Center for Rural Affairs, with funding from USDA Rural Development Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program, will bring the farm to school and the school to the farm throughout the month of October with multiple activities in multiple schools; and
- WHEREAS the following schools/communities have committed to Farm to School programs in partnership with the Center for Rural Affairs, with funding from the USDA Farm to School grant program: Aurora Public, Bancroft Rosalie Public, Diller Odell Public, Fremont After-School Program, Fremont Summer School Program, Lyons-Decatur Public, Niobrara Public, Norris Intermediate, Scribner-Snyder Public, Winside Public, Verdigre Public along with other area schools who are showing interest; and
- WHEREAS only 2% of youth eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and Farm to School programs increase children’s participation in the school meals program on average of 9%, all while increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables; and
- WHEREAS, healthier kids means smarter kids, as research indicates healthy students perform better on testing and are absent less often; and
- WHEREAS students demonstrate a willingness to try new foods when they come from local farmers; and
- WHEREAS Nebraska ranks #22 for adult obesity with 28.6% of adults obese in 2012 (more than doubling from 11.3% in 1990), and one-third of all U.S. children are obese or overweight; and
- WHEREAS in 2011-2012, $3,006,167,550 was nationally spent on school food, and $385,771,134 of those dollars were spent locally. In Nebraska, $36,670,220 was spent on school food, and $3,724,561 of that was spent on local foods; and
- WHEREAS there are 345,20 public school students in Nebraska, and spending $1 per student per month would mean $3,106,800 of school food dollars going directly to local producers; and
- WHEREAS Farm to School increases market opportunities for farmers, ranchers, and other food producers, with an average benefit of a 5% increase in income from Farm to School sales; and
- WHEREAS positive relationships develop with the school district, parents, community, farmers, and students because of farm to school
