U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) last week offered bipartisan legislation that aims to drive more resources to the National Farm to School Grant Program, which supports nationwide initiatives to deliver fresh, local foods to schools.
“As schools return to in-person learning, it’s important to provide more nutritious meal options for students,” Sen. Tillis said. “It’s even better when the food comes from a local farm, supporting a healthy diet for our kids and supporting the agriculture industry in North Carolina and across the country.”
Sen. Tillis signed on as the lead original cosponsor of the Farm to School Act, S. 1328, with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and cosponsors including U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).
If enacted, S. 1328 would amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to reauthorize the National Farm To School Grant Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service, which annually awards competitive grants for planning, developing and implementing farm to school programs.
USDA’s Farm to School Grants are an important way to help state, regional, and local organizations as they initiate, expand and institutionalize farm to school efforts, according to the department.
Currently, the grant program is significantly oversubscribed, according to Sen. Tillis’ office, which pointed out that since 2013, USDA has received nearly 2,000 applications requesting more than $141 million and fewer than a quarter of grant applications receive funding each year.
“I am proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make this a reality because this commonsense legislation is a win-win for everyone,” said Sen. Tillis.