Companion bills in the House and Senate would triple the funding, to $15 million a year, for the farm-to-school grant program, which buys locally grown fresh food to help feed schoolchildren. The legislation was announced ahead of this year’s reauthorization of child nutrition programs such as school lunch. House sponsors are Marcia Fudge, Ohio Democrat, and Jeff Fortenberry, Nebraska Republican. Senate sponsors are Appropriations chairman Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Patrick Leahy, Vermont Democrat.
Fudge said the program was so popular that USDA was able to accept only 20 percent of the requests for funding. The legislation would expand the program to include preschools, summer food service programs, and after-school programs.