From the Food Research & Action Center: Join advocates from organizations all across the country in a new national campaign to oppose the three-state block grant of the school meal programs contained in the House Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill (H.R. 5003). 

The House Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) bill, H.R. 5003, which was voted out of the House Education and the Workforce Committee on May 18th, now includes a three-state block grant proposal for the school meal programs. FRAC and national, state, and local partners are launching an intensive nationwide campaign against these efforts to block grant the school meal programs, or any other child nutrition program, during this reauthorization process.

Take Action!

Step 1: Sign your organization onto this statement opposing the block grant provision included in the House CNR bill. 
Step 2: Share the statement widely with your national, state, and local partners asking them to sign onto the statement. Our goal is to have 2500 organizations signed on over the next several weeks. 
Step 3: Register here for this webinar - National Call to Action - Oppose House Efforts to Block Grant and Weaken the Child Nutrition Programs - on Monday, June 6, 2:30pm- 3:30pm (Eastern Time). Join leaders in the House of Representatives and thousands of organizations in the launch of the campaign and to learn and strategize about upcoming action steps.

To learn more about the House CNR Bill and the block grant provision, read FRAC’s latest analysis of the bill. 

The Organic Trade Association released research that links economic health at the county level to organic agriculture, and shows that organic food and crop production-and the business activities accompanying organic agriculture-create real and long-lasting regional economic opportunities.

The paper, “U.S. Organic Hotspots and their Benefit to Local Economies,” finds organic hotspot-counties with high levels of organic agricultural activity whose neighboring counties also have high organic activity-boost median household incomes by an average of $2,000 and reduce poverty levels by an average of 1.3 percentage points. Learn more here.

In New York, NOFA-NY Certified Organic, LLC has received 134 new applications for organic certification as of the end of May. This is a 51% increase in new applicants over the same time period last year! Operations with the largest growth are Maple and Dairy/Transitioning Dairy. Additionally, the Grass Fed Certification applicants have more than doubled this year.