Prioritize Investments in Healthy Food Access for All

Earlier this week, the White House introduced the President’s 2020 budget. When it comes to hunger, the President’s budget recycles old ideas that have been soundly rejected by Congress, including cutting food assistance for struggling households by issuing the impractical “Harvest Box” of commodities and expanding harsh time limits for underemployed and unemployed adults.

Meanwhile, here in our Washington, we continue to encourage a different approach to hunger: we are advancing legislation and budget priorities to increase access and affordability of nutritious, locally grown fruits and vegetables, and we need your help!

HB 1587 creates a state fruit and vegetable incentives program, providing matching dollars at farmers markets and grocery stores when shoppers buy produce with their SNAP dollars. Passing 1587 will help our state continue the success of existing programs, currently supported by a USDA grant: these programs have a proven track record of increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, increased revenue for our local growers and farmers markets, and reducing food insecurity by increasing the purchasing power of food assistance.

Also on our priorities list is to provide sustainable funding for the Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Farm to School and Farm to Food Pantry programs. The Farm to School is part of WSDA’s Regional Markets Program which helps Washington growers expand and diversify their marketing opportunities, helping to ensure the consumption of fresh, locally grown ingredients in school meals, hospitals, senior centers, and other institutions. WSDA also operates a Farm to Food Pantry initiative, providing small grants to foster connections between local food pantries and growers to get more nutritious food to our neighbors in need.

The Legislature will be releasing and negotiating budget proposals soon. Lawmakers need to hear that these priorities are strongly supported by a broad set of stakeholders. In other words, they need to hear from you: tell your lawmakers that ensuring access to affordable, nutritious food for all in Washington is important to you and ask them for their support.

WHAT YOU CAN DO