Two Colorado mothers are helping lead a school food pilot program within the Jefferson County School District in Edgewater in an effort to not only provide healthier meals, but culturally relevant foods. Esther Caldera, a community leader and mother involved in the Jefferson Area Schools Food Pilot, said it began even before the state s Healthy School Meals for All program, a ballot initiative that passed last year. Caldera said school meals have improved, more needs to be done to ensure kids can have access to healthier foods that they truly enjoy. .
A new report looking at hunger in Maryland showed the role federal nutrition programs play in supporting many residents, as well as the state s food system. The nonprofit Maryland Hunger Solutions recently released its Maryland Hunger Profiles report for 2023, which in addition to looking at the state at large, also examined county-level data. The report found there are more than 650,000 Marylanders relying on Supplemental Nutritional Assistance each month, and more than half of students in the state are enrolled to receive free or reduced-price meals. .
October is National Farm to School Month and the Department of Agriculture has announced a new effort to improve students access to high-quality food, in Maryland and nationwide. While the typical approach to school food procurement has been focused on cost, the USDA will partner with the nonprofit Urban School Food Alliance to provide training and technology to school districts to help improve the quality of school food. The partnership seeks to bring regional farmers into the mix. .
The still-looming threat of a federal government shutdown and chaos in Congress have pushed Farm Bill negotiations to the side. Ohio food banks said the uncertainty around federal funding for food banks and nutrition programs is compounding the struggles to meet demand. The deadline to reauthorize the nation s largest food and agriculture legislative package was last month. .