The New Hampshire state legislature will soon be deciding on HB1678-FN, also known as the Local Food for Local Schools Reimbursement Pilot Program or the Farm to School Bill. The goal of this program is to connect more NH school cafeterias with fresh, locally produced foods to serve their populations. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: there are innumerable benefits to eating local, including fresher food, lower carbon emissions, and a strong economy. That is why the Littleton Food Co-op is a proud supporter of the Farm to School Bill. As we know, a thriving democracy only thrives when its members are active participants. Here’s what you can do to help support the passage of this bill:
Educate yourself on the bill
NOFA-NH (Northeast Organic Farming Association of NH) has put together a great resource guide about how this program will work, why it is important to NH, and who will benefit from it. Click here to read more from NOFA-NH.
Read General Manager Ed King’s letter of support for NH HB-1678-FN
To Whom It May Concern,
Food Coops across the country have a long history of supporting local agriculture
and healthy eating. I’m writing this letter in support of a Farm to School Bill that is
currently before the New Hampshire House (HB 1678-FN). The goal of the bill is to
increase the availability of local fruits and vegetables in our school systems
statewide. Similar Bills have failed to pass recently in New Hampshire, leaving a
significant amount of Federal matching funding on the table. Speaking on behalf of
the Littleton Food Coop’s 9 Board Members and over 9,000 Members we feel that it
is imperative that HB 1678-FN passes in Fiscal Year 2024.
We’re not sure why this initiative hasn’t passed before this year? This program has
a modest cost of $241,000 for the state and accesses significant federal matching
funds that have already been approved. Do our representatives have something
against NH Farmers? Or perhaps they’re not interested in better nutrition for our
school children? I doubt that is the case. Maybe I am missing something here? What
we don’t want is the errors of the past to doom a positive path forward. Therefore the
Littleton Food Coop and its Members urge our legislatures to pass HB 1678-FN
during this session.
Cooperatively,
Ed King, General Manager LFC
Sign the official letter of support
NOFA-NH is doing the ground work of centralizing communities across NH into one strong letter of support. Click here to add your name to the letter and an optional short what local food means to you.
Contact your representatives
If this is a cause you’re really passionate about and you have a few extra minutes, use them to contact your state representative directly. Click here to find out who your representative is. If this seems to overwhelming, have no fear! There are plenty of resources and templates online designed to help folks contact their representatives. Many of them allow you to just plug in your name and information, and a sentence or two about the bill you’re writing about.
