National Farm to School Network – Growing Stronger Together!

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Welcome to the Lunch Bites webinar series

National Farm to School Network – Growing Stronger Together!

Growing Stronger Together!

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Growing Stronger Together!

Next Webinars: National Farm to School Month 2014

Campaign – 9/23

Farm to School 101 – 10/14

Growing Stronger Together!

Today’s webinar: Farm to School and the 2015

Reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act

Growing Stronger Together!

Today’s panelists: Mary Stein, deputy director of NFSN Helen Dombalis, policy and strategic partnerships director of NFSN

Growing Stronger Together

Farm to School and the 2015 Reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act

NFSN LunchBites Webinar Series September 9, 2014

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Agenda

•  Introduction to National Farm to School Network

•  Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization 101 •  CNR 2010: USDA Farm to School Grants

•  CNR 2015: timeline, climate, issues, and partners

•  Discussion

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National Farm to School Network

Growing Stronger Together

Growing Stronger Together

Growing Stronger Together

Levels of Farm to School Policy Local State Federal

-  School wellness policy

-  City level policy:

•  Los Angeles •  Baltimore

-  38 states and DC have farm to school legislation

-  Farm Bill -  Food Safety

Modernization Act (FSMA)

-  Child Nutrition

Reauthorization (CNR)

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CNR Background and History

•  1946 School lunch program •  1966 Expands school lunch, adds breakfast •  1972 WIC pilot established •  1992 WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program •  1994 Dietary Guidelines for Americans •  2010 Farm to School Grant Program

photo credit: USDA Farm to School

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The Policy Process

Authorization

Appropriations

Implementation

Evaluation

Concept

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CNR Basics

•  Reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act is abbreviated as CNR: Child Nutrition Reauthorization

•  Includes federal school meal and child nutrition programs

•  Current bill (the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010) expires on September 30, 2015

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CNR Programs

•  National School Lunch Program (NSLP) –  Farm to School Grant Program

•  School Breakfast Program (SBP) •  Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) •  Afterschool Snack and Meals Program •  Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) •  Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants,

and Children (WIC) –  WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP)

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Relevant Members of Congress* •  Authorizing Committees for CNR:

–  Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

•  Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) •  Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS)

–  House Education and the Workforce Committee •  Chairman John Kline (R-MN) •  Ranking Member George Miller (D-CA)

* This information will change in 2015

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Farm to School and CNR •  2004 CNR: local school wellness policies •  2010 CNR: USDA Farm to School Grant Program •  2015 CNR: to be determined…

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USDA Farm to School Grants

•  Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 provides $5 million per year in mandatory funding

•  First two years of the program (FY13 and FY14):

–  139 grants awarded (718 applications) –  15,200 schools involved –  4.55 million students reached

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The Road to CNR 2015

•  Senate held first two CNR hearings on June 12 and July 23; will resume in 2015

•  House hearings will start in 2015 •  Unlikely legislation will be drafted until the New Year

because of the mid-term elections

•  Again, the current bill expires September 30, 2015

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CNR 2015 Climate

•  CNR 2010 vs. CNR 2015

– Different political and fiscal climate

– Nutrition standards debate has already started

– Overall, more defensive than offensive

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Emerging Issues for CNR 2015 •  Universal meals (or expansion of Community Eligibility)

•  Higher reimbursement rates for NSLP and CACFP •  Maintaining nutrition standards •  More time for children to eat lunch •  Funding for school food service equipment (e.g., School Food

Modernization Act) •  Increasing access to summer meals (e.g., Summer Meals Act)

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Farm to School and CNR 2015

•  More funding for the USDA Farm to School Grant Program –  Current annual mandatory funding of $5 million per year –  Demand exceeds available funds by more than five times

•  Expanding the program’s scope to include early care education settings (farm to preschool) –  Early years of life are formative years of life for developing

healthy habits –  Significant local procurement opportunities

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Farm to School and CNR 2015

•  Expanding the program’s scope to include summer food service program sites and afterschool programs –  Summers and afterschool time are great opportunities for local

procurement, gardens, farm tours, and other farm to school activities

•  Supporting farm to school in tribal communities

–  Want to ensure support for tribal farmers through USDA Farm to School Grants for tribal communities

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Partners and Coalitions

•  NFSN is partnering with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition again for CNR 2015

•  NFSN is participating in key coalitions for child nutrition, food access, and social justice

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Discussion

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Staying Engaged

Helen Dombalis, Policy and Strategic Partnerships Director helen@farmtoschool.org

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