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‘Veggie’ increase stalls when Farm Bill halted
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · November 28, 2007
When Sen. Tom Harkin visited West Branch Aug. 8, he convened a group to gather information in his effort to try to expand federal spending on fruit and vegetable snacks for elementary pupils.
On Oct. 25, Harkin watched a significantly larger version of the bill than he originally proposed pass the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Harkin serves as the committee chairman.
And as of last week, the Farm Bill, which carries the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program as a line-item, was stymied in the Senate.
The federal government currently spends $15 million nationwide on the program; Harkin’s expansion to the FFVP would cost $1.1 billion, more than three times that of the House version.
The FFVP is part of the new Farm Bill. President Bush has threatened to veto the House and Senate version of the Farm Bill because they do not cut enough federal subsidies to farmers.
“It is disappointing that the Administration is already threatening a veto of this bill while the Senate is still considering this measure,” Harkin said Nov. 6. “The Administration takes issue with virtually every part of this bill – even the distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables to school children.”
According to a Nov. 6 Statement of Administration Policy, Bush opposes the size of Harkin’s increase.
“The Administration’s farm bill proposal increases the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables through the school meal programs, which makes better use of existing purchase authorities and existing programs,” read the statement.
When he visited West Branch to meet with representatives of groups who deal with low-income families and nutrition, Harkin proposed expanding the FFVP to $250 million. What passed the committee is more than four times that amount.
Some 12,000 pupils across Iowa have access to fresh fruits and vegetables through the program. The expansion would increase that figure to 65,000 if it survives any changes in the full Senate or House. If the increase in funding passes, about $3.4 million per year would come to Iowa, more than triple what comes here now.
Nationwide, some 175,000 children have access to FFVP in 14 states and three Indian tribal organizations. If the expansion goes through, that would increase to 4.5 million elementary pupils.
“It’s a dramatic increase,” said Kate Cyrul, majority communications director for the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
The fruits and vegetables are provided as snacks for children who say they are hungry during class.
“The farm bill is about food and nutrition and should be an opportunity to encourage healthy diets and promote health. With this historic expansion of the Fruit and Vegetable Program, not only do we make a tremendous investment in the health of our children, but we also expand the idea of what a farm bill can and should be.” Harkin said in a statement.
The FFVP started five years ago as a pilot program.
West Branch schools do not currently participate in the FFVP, but Harkin chose to meet Aug. 8 in West Branch because of native son Herbert Hoover’s efforts to feed the hungry.
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