Hatfield bill aimed at helping state farmers
Story on the Local Farms - Healthy Kids Priority from the Aberdeen Daily World
OLYMPIA — State Sen. Brian Hatfield wants to make sure the apples kids eat at school come from Washington, not Asia.
The Raymond Democrat’s legislation encouraging schools to buy locally-grown food will receive its first hearing before the Agriculture & Rural Economic Development Committee on Thursday.
The bill will also allow low-income people to purchase locally grown food from farmer’s markets with food stamps.
“This has the support of farmers and environmentalists, and I think it is very doable,” Hatfield said Monday.
Another part of the legislation allows school districts to purchase food directly from farmers at a “reasonable price.”
The Washington Environmental Council has made the issue one of its top four priorities for the 2008 legislative session, emphasizing that more nutritious food will fight childhood obesity.
Sen. Hatfield is also seeking $4 million to $5 million in state funds for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to award grants to schools so they can provide free locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the school day.
“The biggest rub is coming up with the money,” Hatfield acknowledged, noting that parts of the bill might be able to work without the funds.
School districts like Hoquiam and others in rural areas that have more than 50 percent of their students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches would get top priority for the grants.
The bill seeks to relax bid requirements and give school districts a choice to get their food from out-of-state or in-state sources, according to Dan Wood, the director of local affairs for the state Farm Bureau.
“If someone from Pennsylvania puts in a low-cost bid for vegetables and a Washington state farm has it for about the same price, schools could get it locally, instead,” Wood said. “Right now, it’s just not that simple.
“It’s good for the state economy and good for getting healthy food to our kids in school,” the former Grays Harbor County commissioner added.
Hatfield notes, “We want to relieve those restrictions and encourage schools to buy locally, but there’s no mandates here. We don’t want to make the local cook have to do more paper work. We want to make it easier.”
The Senate committee will hear testimony on the bill at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in Olympia. Hatfield is vice chairman of the committee.
Similar legislation is being sponsored on the House side by Rep. Eric Pettigrew, a Democrat from Seattle.
