The Produce News reports that two Democratic lawmakers - Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine - have introduced the Local Farms, Food & Jobs Act of 2013, which is described as seeking "to make fresh, healthy food more accessible to consumers and to support the farmers who grow it," including "a comprehensive package of cost-effective policy reforms that would boost farmers’ and ranchers’ incomes by helping them meet the growing demand for local and regional food."
One critical component of the proposed legislation would "increase support for local food production, aggregation, processing and distribution so that farmers can more easily sell healthy food, including locally raised and processed meat, directly to schools, hospitals, stores and restaurants." It also would "enable schools to use more of their federal food funding to buy fresh, local foods," and make it easier for food stamp recipients to use them "to purchase healthy fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets, community-supported agriculture programs and other direct food marketing services."
One critical component of the proposed legislation would "increase support for local food production, aggregation, processing and distribution so that farmers can more easily sell healthy food, including locally raised and processed meat, directly to schools, hospitals, stores and restaurants." It also would "enable schools to use more of their federal food funding to buy fresh, local foods," and make it easier for food stamp recipients to use them "to purchase healthy fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets, community-supported agriculture programs and other direct food marketing services."
- KC's View:
