WA passed the "Local Farms-Healthy Kids and Communities Act" - What would be in a ME bill?

[Food for Maine's Future]

WA just passed the "Local Farms-Healthy Kids and Communities Act." This bill is perhaps, the most comprehensive local foods bill in the country (see below). Could this be done in Maine? What would be in such a bill?


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State Legislature Passes Local Farms Healthy Kids Bill
New law would make Washington a leader on national trend toward better food choices

On March 11, the state legislature passed the Local Farms – Healthy Kids bill (SSB 6483). Votes were very much bi-partisan and essentially unanimous in both the House and Senate. A key benefit of this legislation will make it easier for schools to buy locally grown food – providing markets for local farmers and nutritious, fresh local food for our children.

Mar 11, 2008

Olympia, WA – Today the state legislature passed the Local Farms – Healthy Kids bill (SSB 6483). Votes were very much bi-partisan and essentially unanimous in both the House and Senate. A key benefit of this legislation will make it easier for schools to buy locally grown food – providing markets for local farmers and nutritious, fresh local food for our children. As a package, this bill will become the most comprehensive local foods program in the nation.

“The power of this idea has been amazing,” said Representative Pettigrew, one of the most important legislative leaders on this bill. “This package creates opportunities for farmers, school kids, and in particular people with lower incomes by getting more locally grown food into school snacks and lunches.”

An incredibly broad and diverse coalition of supporters helped pass the legislation . Early momentum was created for the proposal when it was selected as one of the environmental community’s Priorities for a Healthy Washington for 2008.

“Farmers, schools, students, food banks, farmers markets, faith groups, and poverty, public health and children’s advocates all worked together to get this bill passed,” said Mo McBroom, Policy Director for Washington Environmental Council. “This is a great investment and a big first step toward re-connecting people to where our food comes from.”

What the Bill Does

* Making it possible: expands children’s access to locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables by easing purchasing restrictions that currently make it difficult for schools and institutions to buy from local farms.
* Forging connections: Establishes a state “Farm To School” program that will connect schools with community farmers, and will provide necessary information and technical assistance to both school districts and farms.
* Getting good food into the classroom: enacts a Washington Grown Fruits and Vegetables Program that will fund a fresh food snack program in schools with high numbers of low-income students.
* Helping those who need it most: This effort will make it easier for low income families to purchase locally grown food by enabling farmers markets to accept food stamps, increasing funding of the Farmers Market Nutrition Programs and creating pilot projects for food banks to purchase fresh food directly from Washington farms.

source: http://environmentalpriorities.org/media-center/press-releases/stat...