Most of us have experienced the difference in taste and quality of organic food. Most of us purchase our food from farmers' markets that bring local produce and local meats to our neighborhoods. Schools, however, in the U.S., have relied on surplus ingredients from the Dep. of Agriculture to subsidize lunch and breakfast programs. Menus have relied on packaged goods laden with calories, salt, sugar and preservatives that allowed the products to be stored for years.
First Lady Michelle Obama has called attention to the quality of food served to children. And a movement to improve school lunches has been launched.
Last week, I read about a campaign by the Organic Trade Association. You may want to read the entire article on page four of Port Orford Today, February 17, 2010: www.mydfz.com/dfz.htm.
Titled Organic Food in Schools, the article talks about how the Organic Trade Association is conducting the initiative as an extention of its consumer education and awareness campaign. This particular campaign allows citizens to vote and sign up their local schools to receive start up funds to set up an organic garden. Check them out: www.organicitsworthit.org/join/current-campaigns
Our local food pantry is already receiving organic food donations from local ranchers, fisheries and farms. People here are generous and open hearted.
Let's all work to bring top quality food to our children's lunch and breakfast programs. They deserve no less.
26 comments:
This is an important issue and I am glad that it is getting the attention it deserves. I am impatiently waiting for the snow to leave my garden so I can start planting and get my fingers in the dirt !
A resounding yes! A recent petition circulated with information that Fast Food Chains have higher standards for their meat than that which is considered acceptable for our school children. Link is here...great post!
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/school_lunch_meat/?rc=fb_share
That's a brilliant idea.
Organic food is limited in supply where I live and often very expensive, but we still try to have as much as possible on our table. It certainly does taste better.
We should ALL be concerned about the quality of our food.
I've been reading so much about how our food is processed in this country and I've been APPALLED. 'Omnivore's Dilemma' by Michael Pollan should be required reading for ALL Americans! I won't even let my daughter eat school lunches (not that she would anyway, as she thinks they all taste like crap). Our new governor is cutting school funding, though, including the meals programs, so I'm guessing organic food in the schools will be on the back burner for Virginia.
agree...maybe they should talk to the governor who is cutting school budgets, closing schools down and packing them in as tight as he can here in VA...
What a fantastic idea. How I wish organics had been available at my daughter's high school, middle school, elementary school.
Sorry you missed the party...the cookies and hot chocolate are all gone--but I'm glad you made an appearance! I'm exhausted! I have been trying to respond to all the commenters by visiting their blogs--Over 300 comments!
Great idea. I can certainly taste and experience the difference!
Aloha, Friend!
Comfort Spiral
Better nutrition for everyone would go a long way towards negating the need for medicine.
Thanks for coming by; in case you didn't know, rhubarb stems are good to eat. They make good desserts when mixed up with enough sweetener, and are very sour otherwise!
a great campaign. i hope it works.
This may actually be the place to start on nutritional awareness. The school lunch in many cases is the only real meal of the day for kids it should be nutritional not just a preservative.
I agree! Such an important topic to cover. In the UK, Jamie Oliver has done a lot to educate people about improving food in schools.
A fabulous idea... very, very important for young people everywhere .
I remember cafeteria lunches a long time ago. Usually my parents sent my lunch which was far healthier in comparison to the school cafeteria's offerings.
There's a group of mothers on Capitol Hill who are working hard to change school lunches here in the District. I support them 100%.
There's also a big movement of people here who want to keep hens for fresh eggs. The group is called "Hens on the Hill" - I hope they succeed!
Decades and decades of food adulteration is destroying our health. You need only notice how widespread food allergies and sensitivities are now, not to mention the rise of autism and ADD. All those chemicals (colors, homogenizers, preservatives, sugars, salt, wax) in our food supply that the powers that be proclaim to be safe...just aren't.
Well, for the first time I want to reperesent me, I'm loredana and find you over blog, I will be retired at the end of this year as librarian and teacher, so let me to became a friends. Thanks. loredana
Organic and free-range food tastes so much better and is packed with vitamins and minerals that children need more than ever. Great post :o)
Some organic food on sale around here in larger supermarkets were found out to have come from regular producers. They said it was a labeling mistake. I think the stores lost most of their customers of organic foods after that.
Poison in the food, in the water and in the air we breathe. Pretty well sums it up.
I remember most high school students making a breakfast of a coke and a candy bar which wasn't your point, I know. One school where I taught we had a regular Subway, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut and all the kids with money ate there. The kids on welfare ate the school lunches provided which were far from organic also and usually starchy casseroles with a token bit of lettuce with no veggies in it for a salad.
I too have to take many pills but it keeps me going just as you do. As my son who is a pharmaceutical rep says,"Better living through chemistry!" And I know we have to do many things we would rather not but I still bitch anyway.
Great idea. Last year a similar initiative, The Healthy Eating Campaign for European school children, was established by the European commission to change children's eating habits for the better, as around 22 million kids are overweight in the EU, of which 5 million are obese. I wrote a few lines on that: http://decomondo.blogspot.com/2009/09/la-squadra-dei-sapori-nelle-scuole.html
This is a very important issue. Thank you for doing a posting with information on how we can help facilitate the purchase and consumption of organic foods for our children. Port Orford sounds like such a nice place to live.
Wonderful photos.
We need to get some drier, sunnier weather before I start to *potter* in the garden again.
Nuts in May
Thank you for stopping by at Christine's Chatter - hope to see you again.
I grow lots of organic veg in my smallish garden - I used to have nearly half an acre when Rachel was smaller, and grew a wider variety then.
Snails and slugs are the biggest nuisances I have. They enjoy organic food too - and who can blame them? But I'm too mean to want to share!!!
Call in for a chat with me! Christine's Chatter is at :-
http://cadugdale.blogspot.com
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