Joco Today

OLATHE, KS – May 1, 2023, Representative Sharice Davids visited the Olathe Public Schools Food Production Center and served lunch at a local elementary school as part of her Farm Bill listening tour. Davids spoke with students and staff about the importance of improving nutrition for Kansas youth, families, and seniors. Her tour will continue at farms, ranches, and businesses across the Third District as Davids prepares to consider the 2023 Farm Bill through her position on the House Agriculture Committee.

“Federal nutrition programs like SNAP ensure that all Kansans have access to healthy meals, and the students I talked with today rely on these meals to stay focused and happy in the classroom,” said Davids. “As I head back to Washington to consider the 2023 Farm Bill, I’ll keep these students and conversations top of mind.”

While visiting Olathe Schools’ Food Production Center, Davids received a tour of the facility and spoke with various departmental representatives, including those from purchasing, free and reduced applications, food production, and menu planning. She then visited Black Bob Elementary where she helped serve lunch to students. Increasing the nutritional quality of school lunches has been proven to improve student learning and health, and the Farm Bill encourages the use of locally produced, nutritious goods and products in schools.

“At Olathe Public Schools, food and nutrition is at the heart of the educational experience for our students,” said Scott Kingery, Director of Food Services. “We continually strive to provide reasonably priced, nutritious meals that students enjoy so they will be powered to learn when they enter the classroom.”

The Farm Bill is typically reauthorized every five years and includes several nutrition and domestic food assistance programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which protects around 190,000 Kansans annually from going hungry. Nationwide, 80 percent of households on SNAP include a child, elderly individual, or person with a disability.

As part of her Farm Bill listening tour, Davids previously visited a poultry and meat farm in Anderson County, a co-op in Franklin County, a no-till farm in Miami County, an organic vegetable farm in Johnson County, and an educational community farm in Wyandotte County. Davids also toured a Garnett-based renewable ethanol producer and participated in FFA activities at Spring Hill High School.

Last year, Davids hosted U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretaries Jennifer Lester Moffitt and Xochitl Torres Small for visits to the Third District to learn about the area’s meatpacking and dairy industries, respectively. She was also named a Friend of the Farm Bureau by the Kansas Farm Bureau in 2022.

Original source can be found here.