“No nation is any healthier than its children,” said President Harry S. Truman upon signing the National School Lunch Act in 1946, which established government support so that none of our nation’s schoolchildren go hungry at lunchtime. When Truman signed the act, he considered the problem of poor nutrition to be an issue of national security. He recognized that our nation cannot be strong as a whole unless all of our citizens have access to nourishing, healthy food. Now, nearly 60 years later, it is just as important that we remember the importance of our nation’s access to healthy foods, especially as Congress finalizes the 2007 Farm Bill later this fall.
The farm bill covers a broad array of farm and food programs that affect our nation’s farmers directly but also greatly impact the health and well-being of our citizens. Beef and chicken farmer Sandy Fisher—AFT’s Steward of the Land Award winner this year—likes to say, “We need more farms and fewer hospitals.” I couldn’t agree more. Our country’s farmers help feed us all, and our federal farm and food policies should be doing more to help our farmers grow the healthiest foods in ways that are best for the environment and best for the long-term prosperity of agriculture.
As you’ll read in this issue of American Farmland, a growing movement is underway to help farmers bring fresh whole foods directly to schools in their neighborhoods, which cuts down on the energy needed to transport the food, helps the farmers make more money, and introduces schoolchildren to an awareness of how much better locally grown foods taste and make them feel. The 2007 Farm Bill can and should do more to support innovative programs like these. That’s why AFT will be working to make sure the farm bill supports the producers who grow healthy food and adequately funds the programs that keep our land and citizens healthy.
Over the summer, the U.S. House of Representatives took a step in the right direction when they passed the House version of the 2007 Farm Bill. The House version supports conservation, local farmers and healthy diets better than at any point in the past. This is the good news. Unfortunately, it also continues outdated commodity programs that distort the market. When the U.S. Senate takes up the bill this fall, they have a chance to build on the success of the House but go further in transforming our farm and food policies. At AFT, we will be working hard for a farm bill that is worthy of our farmers—one that conserves our land, respects taxpayers and provides all citizens with better access to healthy foods.
Thank you for your continued support of our work.
Ralph Grossi
