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USDA changes rules to allow locally grown produce to be served in schools

By Howard B. Owens

New York's apple growers have won approval to provide cleaned, sliced and bagged apples to area schools.

The USDA has eased restrictions on what "processed food" means for the purpose of distributing locally grown agriculture products to local school children.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, in a press release this morning, said she lobbied the USDA for the change.

“We have to let our farmers do what they do best, and that’s deliver fresh fruits and vegetable to local communities,” said Senator Gillibrand.  “New York farmers produce some of the highest quality, fresh produce in the country. The Farm Bill was supposed to make it easier for farmers to sell produce directly to New York schools, and this USDA ruling will finally ensure that our students will have healthy New York produce and our farmers can earn the extra income that comes from providing value-added products such as pre-cut apples. During difficult economic times, we need this new market to create jobs.”

Full press release after the jump:

Washington, DC – After leading the fight on behalf of New York farmers, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand secured a commitment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will allow New York farmers to process fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables for children to snack on in New York schools.  In February, Senator Gillibrand sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting that he change an administrative rule barring local farmers from delivering pre-cut and packaged fruit and vegetables to schoolchildren.  This week, on a phone call with the USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, Senator Gillibrand received a commitment that the USDA will reverse this interpretation and open up the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program to allow local farmers to participate.

“We have to let our farmers do what they do best, and that’s deliver fresh fruits and vegetable to local communities,” said Senator Gillibrand.  “New York farmers produce some of the highest quality, fresh produce in the country. The Farm Bill was supposed to make it easier for farmers to sell produce directly to New York schools, and this USDA ruling will finally ensure that our students will have healthy New York produce and our farmers can earn the extra income that comes from providing value-added products such as pre-cut apples. During difficult economic times, we need this new market to create jobs.”

State Senator Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, chair of the New York State Senate's Agriculture Committee said, “When we make local food available in our schools, our children get the freshest and finest produce available. We asked Secretary Villsack and the USDA to review this because the enforcement of de minimis handling had been contrary to what the bill’s authors and all of us in the farm community were looking for. I’m pleased to see that they are reviewing this and that New York farmers will have the opportunity to provide fresh snacks for our school children.”

“City Harvest is pleased to learn that the USDA is taking another look at the language in the Farm Bill around de minimis processing, so that items like sliced fresh apples from New York State farms can be part of healthy school lunches.  Organizations that care about hunger and nutrition in New York City, and who care about improving school meals, have been asking for this change for some time,” said Jilly Stephens, Executive Director of City Harvest.

The Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program in the 2008 Farm Bill authorizes schools to buy local produce that has not been processed for students to eat outside of school cafeteria programs. This program operates best when this local produce has been washed, sliced and bagged, since it is eaten outside of the lunchroom. Until now, the USDA interpretation of what it means for local produce to be considered “processed” has prevented local farms from participating.

In the Farm Bill’s Joint Explanatory Statement, the authors of the bill said the term “unprocessed” should not be taken literally, but rather “logically implemented” to allow the preparation necessary to deliver farm products “to a  school food authority in a usable form.”

In February, Senator Gillibrand teamed up with New York State Senator Aubertine, to ask the USDA to “…remain mindful of the vitality and value of New York's farms, the health of our school children, and the positive benefits of promoting local agriculture.”

In their letter, Senator Gillibrand and State Senator Aubertine stated that Farm to Fork programs create wealth and lead to increased employment through agriculture, “creating a ripple effect that strengthens our struggling rural communities. Additionally, locally grown and distributed food is likely to be fresher and more nutritious, a key to fighting childhood public health problems from obesity to diabetes.”

Bea McManis

This is a step in the right direction. There is no reason why our locally grown produce shouldn't be available in our schools.
Senator Gillibrand is atanding by her word to work for the agricultural communities in New York State.

Sep 18, 2009, 10:56am Permalink
Richard Gahagan

Yeah but Bea Senator Gillibrand was one of only seven senators that voted to continue funding the ACORN prostitiutes. Must be they helped get her in to replace her thighness hillary.

Sep 18, 2009, 11:07am Permalink
Bea McManis

Posted by Richard Gahagan on September 18, 2009 - 11:07am
Yeah but Bea Senator Gillibrand was one of only seven senators....

Richard,
Please explain what that has to do with her getting locally grown produce into the school system?

Sep 18, 2009, 11:25am Permalink
Richard Gahagan

It has to do with her character. Anyone that would vote to continue funding a corrupt organization with tax dollars shouldn't be honored for giving the teacher an apple.

Sep 18, 2009, 11:42am Permalink
Bea McManis

So she has no character for working to get local produce into schools (for the children, not the teachers)?
She has no character for working for the dairy farmers in our area?
She has no character for recognizing that our area needs a strong voice in congress?
The ACORN situation is a messy one, I agree. Whatever her reason for voting as she did does not discount her efforts for those in WNY.

Sep 18, 2009, 2:05pm Permalink
Jeff Allen

I applaud Sen Gillibrand for the concept of this bill. It will all be for naught if the local farmers can't be competetive in their pricing. Cash strapped schools are still forced to go with the lowest quote despite the availability of local produce. It may require some follow-up before we call this a success.
On the negative side for Gillibrand, I wrote her the night of the Senate vote on ACORN asking her to justify her vote and she responded with a form letter thanking me for my concerns about the Cap and Trade bill!

Sep 18, 2009, 3:53pm Permalink

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