With an eye toward the 2018 farm bill, congressional backers of regional food marketing efforts filed bills in the House and Senate that would expand local and direct sales of food, which were estimated at $8.7 billion in 2015. In an attention-getting initiative, the companion bills would create a pilot program called Harvesting Health to support fruit and vegetable “prescriptions” to improve diets and reduce obesity.
The bulk of the legislation is directed at consolidating promotional programs; making all veterans eligible for an existing program that helps low-income senior citizens buy food at farmers’ markets; allowing schools to specify locally produced food when they solicit bids; opening the way for USDA grants and loans for local meat processing facilities; and creating a cost-share program to help farmers meet food-safety requirements.
Fruit and vegetable “prescriptions” are a recent offshoot of programs that provide additional funding for purchases of fresh produce by food stamp recipients. The prescriptions are tied to medical programs that oversee the health of obese patients. They often include sessions on diet, food selection, and food preparation. The pilot program would support prescription projects in areas of persistent poverty and collect data on their impact on health.
Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree, a sponsor of the bill, said it would let “farmers take full advantage of the opportunities in the local food movement” and benefit consumers, too. Reps. Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska and Sean Maloney of New York state are also sponsors. Ohio’s Sherrod Brown filed the Senate version of the bill.
For details of the bill, HR 3941, click here.