California leads the way in healthy school meals

By Farms.com

A visit by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom to a Los Angeles school showcased California's successful child nutrition programs. Farm to School and Universal Meals initiatives were the focus, highlighting California's commitment to student health and local agriculture.

The visit coincided with the recent implementation of new, science-based school meal nutrition standards by the USDA. Both Secretary Vilsack and First Partner Newsom commended California's efforts to provide healthy meals for all students while supporting local farmers.

California has taken significant steps in child nutrition. They were a frontrunner in implementing universal school meals, expanding access to existing federal programs. Additionally, their Farm to School program connects schools with local farms, providing fresh produce to over 1.5 million students.

California's ambitious goals are to increase the use of local ingredients in school meals and integrate food education. It also details partnerships between the USDA and California to strengthen local agriculture and address summer hunger among students.

Higher diesel and fertilizer prices are squeezing farm profit margins ahead of the midterm elections. Farmers in Iowa and Kansas discuss rising harvest costs, the war in Iran and whether those pressures will change their votes. Peter Tubbs reports on the debate over farm input costs and the differing political responses across the Corn Belt.