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SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 19
INTRODUCED BY CAFERRO, KAUFMANN, MACDONALD, WANZENRIED, AUGARE, O'HARA, REINHART, ANKNEY, READ, WELBORN, FUREY, HANDS, K. WILLIAMS
A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA SUPPORTING, ENCOURAGING, AND PROMOTING MONTANA FARM TO SCHOOL PROGRAMS.
WHEREAS, Farm to School Programs connect schools (K-12) and local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias to improve student nutrition and provide experiential agriculture, health, and nutrition educational opportunities; and
WHEREAS, childhood obesity and associated chronic diseases are significant problems nationally and in Montana, and increased consumption of fresh and nutritious foods is proven to CAN be an effective way to combat these problems; and
WHEREAS, Farm to School Programs purchase local food for school meals and provide a market for local agricultural producers bringing economic development opportunities to regional food and agricultural economies; and
WHEREAS, Montana's K-12 schools have been identified as a significant market for local and regional food products and can provide a stepping stone for local agricultural producers to scale up and grow their businesses into larger markets; and
WHEREAS, Farm to School Programs are proliferating across the United States, with an estimated 8,900 K-12 schools participating in all 50 states; and
WHEREAS, Farm to School Programs are proliferating across Montana's rural and urban school districts and will continue to grow through attention resulting from the designation of a statewide promotional Farm to School Week; and
WHEREAS, federal legislation designated October as national Farm to School Month for the purposes of promoting these programs among students, citizens, teachers and school administrators, state and federal agencies, and all concerned parties.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
That the Montana Legislature:
(1) supports Farm to School Programs;
(2) encourages Montanans to recognize the first week of October as Montana Farm to School Week; and
(3) supports related promotional activities to bring further visibility and development to Farm to School across the state, including but not limited to:
(a) establishing partnerships between schools, school boards, farmers and farm groups, municipal, county, and state agencies, and citizen groups; and
(b) conducting events such as public Farm to School meal days, farmer-classroom visits, student local food cooking activities and taste tests, media outreach, and posting Farm to School promotional materials around schools and communities.
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