Farm-Fresh Local Foods Examples

State

Washington Adopts Healthy Kids Act

• eliminating low-cost bidding requirements for school purchases of Washington-grown food to allow schools to adopt price preferences for local food;
• requiring development of food procurement procedures for state entities to encourage and facilitate purchasing of Washington-grown food to the maximum extent possible;
• requiring all state food contracts to include a plan to maximize the availability of Washington-grown food purchased through the contract;
• establishing a Farm-to-School program;
• creating the Washington Grown Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program, which provides $600,000 per year in grant funds to elementary schools with high numbers of lower-income students to make available a locally grown fruit and vegetable snack program;
• authorizing schools to grow food to be eaten in their regular snack and meal programs, and requiring school garden programs to include education about organic and conventional growing methods;
• establishing a Farmers’ Market Technology Program that provides $50,000 to allow farmers’ markets to accept both electronic benefit transfer cards and credit cards;
• expanding and increasing funding for the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program; and
• requiring the Department of Health to establish rules for farm stores to participate in the program, and providing an additional $200,000 in coupons to allow lower-income seniors and women with infant children to shop at farmers’ markets.

Local

Harford County Farmers’ Market Coupon Program Helps Residents “Buy Local”

In Maryland, the Harford County Farmers’ Market Coupon Program promotes new farmers’ markets in the county and encourages participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables. The program also supplements the cost of produce and creates an incentive for families to choose healthier meal options.
http://www.naco.org/newsroom/countynews/archives/documents/2008/cnews-jun30-08.pdf
www.harfordcountymd.gov/Press/Press2806.pdf

Ann Arbor, Mich., Increases Role in City-Run Farmers’ Market

Ann Arbor, Mich., has been running its farmers’ market since 1919, but a 1998 ordinance formalized the rules and regulations that govern the market. Another ordinance established a Farmers’ Market Commission, which serves as an advisory board to guide daily market operations. Prospective members are nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the city council. In addition, the city employs a full-time market manager who is based in the Department of Parks and Recreation.
http://bookstore.icma.org/freedocs/E43398.pdf

Tohono O’odham Nation Donates Land for Farming

The Tohono O’odham Nation, a Native-American reservation just west of Tucson, Ariz., which is larger in size than Connecticut, has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world. More than 50 percent of adults on the reservation have the disease, according to the Indian Health Service. In response, the Indian Health Service, in collaboration with the Tohono O’odham Health Department, established community-and school-based diabetes prevention projects and the Tucson Indian Center now offers nutrition education to residents. The Tohono O’odham Nation also provided 100 acres of land to Tohono O’odham Community Action, a grassroots organization, to establish a farm for the production of fresh produce.
www.whyhunger.org/programs/fslc/topics/nutrition/program-profiles.html

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