Contact:  State Rep. Susan Winchester

Capitol:  (405) 557-7333

Chickasha: (405) 224-5789

OKLAHOMA CITY-(March 6, 2006)—Fresh, Oklahoma-grown fruits and vegetables may soon be on the menu at state schools after a bill by State Rep. Susan Winchester passed today on the House floor.

House Bill 2655 would create the “Farm-to-School Program Act,” which is designed to foster cooperation between the State Department of Education, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, state farmers and local school districts by incorporating foods from local farms into school menus and developing nutrition-education programs for the students.

The bill would also create a task force to determine the best way to implement the program.

“This bill is a win-win for our rural communities and our state farmers,” said Winchester, R-Chickasha.  “Our students’ diets could be drastically improved by adding fresh fruits and vegetables into our school menus. Lack of healthy fruits and vegetables in a child’s daily diet contributes to the massive youth obesity and juvenile diabetes epidemics in our state.”

“Not only does this bill allow our students to receive fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables, but it also allows them to receive educational materials on healthy diets and provides our state farmers a new market for their products.”

Statistics have shown that most fruits and vegetables are transported between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farms to markets before consumption.

So far, 24 states have begun similar programs in more than 400 school districts. All the states have declared the program a success, said Winchester.

In 2005, Oklahoma-grown fruits and vegetables were delivered to six state-school cafeterias through a program administered by the Oklahoma Food Policy Council, with funding and staff support from the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture. However, funds are no longer available to support the program, leading Winchester to file her bill.

According to the Oklahoma Fit Kids Coalition, only 15 percent of Oklahomans eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, ranking the state last in the nation.

“Obesity rates among children have skyrocketed during the last two decades,” said Anne Roberts, executive director of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy. “Poor nutrition and a lack of physical activity are the culprits. This bill will go a long way toward reversing some of the unhealthy eating habits our children have developed.”

HB 2655 passed in the House by a vote of 99-1 and now moves to the Senate for consideration.

mp3/ Rep. Winchester comments on Farm-to-School Act