By Kirstin Q. Siemering, DrPH
In Wisconsin, late summer breezes often have a certain nip that reminds us that winter is coming—whether we like it or not. Kids are heading back to school and farmers are harvesting their bounty. In past weeks we've struggle to find #2 pencils on picked-clean store shelves and had tomatoes coming out of our ears. So in honor of the role farms and schools play in promoting population health, we're drawing your attention this week to an assortment of late summer news around the themes of school health and healthy harvests.
- The Senate passed (by “unanimous consent” of all 100 members and didn’t even require a vote) the long-awaited child nutrition reauthorization, called the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.” The House version also has broad support and a passing vote is expected before the end of September. For more information, check out this fact sheet and this Culinate article.
- The USDA established the People’s Garden School Pilot Program to bring school gardens to low-income schools (applications are due November 8, 2010).
- The USDA has also awarded Massachusetts $20 million for a groundbreaking fruit and vegetable incentive pilot that will test whether providing incentives to low-income families to purchase fresh produce will influence food purchasing patterns.
- In San Mateo, California, where schools are facing 10% budget cuts, the Sequoia Healthcare District (which manages Sequoia Hospital) is making up some of the difference by providing $4.5 million to hire school staff, including a nurse, a counselor, a wellness coordinator, a physical education teacher, and a nurse’s aide.
- General Electric Foundation has granted $2 million to the Louisiana Public Health Institute to benefit school-based health centers (this is part of a $25 million, 3-year campaign to increase access to care for underserved youth throughout the United States).
- The September issue of the American Journal of Public Health has many articles devoted to child and school health, including a collection on the role and value of school-based healthcare.
And finally,
- 50 carrot growers have joined Bolthouse Farms to create a new $25 million marketing campaign (watch for the new tv ads). Bolthouse CEO Jeff Dunn (former President of Coca Cola North America) says the approach takes a page out of junk food’s playbook.
Kirstin Q. Siemering DrPH is a researcher with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
Hi Kirstin
First of all it is great to know that on some things, such as the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.” our Senate could actually agree...
Second of all - here is a sweet article about carrots, in a page all about nutrition and health.
http://vegetablesnutrition.net/vegetables-nutrition-about-carrots-and-health
Enjoy and a happy winter to us all.
Posted by: Ido | 10/23/2010 at 02:30 AM