Daily News Archive
From March 20, 2002

Low Income Children's Access to Clean and Nutritious Food Cut in Farm Bill: Urgent Action Needed to Protect Children

A program that supports organic farming and provides low-income communities access to clean food is slated to be eliminated under the Farm Bill, now in final negotiations in Congress. The program, the Farmers Market Nutrition program, allows WIC (Women, Infants and Children) coupons to be used at Farmers Markets. Listen to the National Public Radio story on this at http://search.npr.org/cf/cmn/cmnpd01fm.cfm?PrgDate=03/19/2002&PrgID=3 (click on "Feds Vs. Farmer's Market").

Contact your members of Congress (Congressman and U.S. Senators) to let them know that this program should be saved. Urge that continued funding (1/10 of 1% of the Farm bill) for this program that supports farmers, market gardeners and increases the nutritional value of the diets of vulnerable populations. Also, contact the Conferees to the Farm Bill (see list below).

While you are delivering this important message, tell your members of Congress and the conferees that they should support the School Environment Protection Act (SEPA), Section 1042 in the Senate Farm Bill.

Thanks for your action on this. For more information, contact Jay Feldman at Beyond Pesticides, 202-543-5450 or jfeldman@beyondpesticides.org.

View list of Conferees to the Farm Bill.