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Children who garden at school are more likely to eat fresh fruits and vegetables when offered in school lunches.  Given that fruit and vegetable consumption among Oregon's children is far below what is essential for good health, anything the state can do to make both these foods available (and increase the likelihood that children will eat them when served by including food garden education at school) is simply the right thing to do.

Serving other Oregon product- grains, meat, legumes and more- also gives us the opportunity to not only access healthfully processed foods, it allows the opportunity to influence changes by Oregon producers/processors to prepare their foods in more healthful ways.  Asking an Oregon chicken processor to make a chicken nugget that is broiled and made without added fats is much more likely to happen than expecting a national/international company to reconfigure their products just because Oregon schools want it that way.

And, given the economic challenges, this infusion of funds manages to improve the revenues for Oregon food and agriculture economy.

It makes sense to make the most of an investment, especially when times are tough.  This legislation doesn't only address economics.  It doesn't only address freshness and greater local control over foods served in schools.  It doesn't only address the multiple benefits of school-based garden education and it's demonstrated positive impacts on academic, health, environmental, and social development for our children.

It is an investment by the people of the state, that has multiple positive outcomes.

Debra Lippoldt

Executive Director, Growing Gardens

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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