RES 305 Draft 01 2008-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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COUNTY OF HAWAII RESOLUTION NO. 305 1.0 STATE OF HAWAII A RESOLUTION URGING THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO SUPPORT A FARM -TO- SCHOOL PROGRAM AND IMPLEMENT A STATEWIDE FARM -TO- SCHOOL POLICY. WHEREAS, Farm -To- School (FTS) programs are put in place to help school cafeterias provide healthier and more nutritious meals to students, while simultaneously building relationships with current farmers and creating new possibilities for new farms and farmers to enter into contractual relationships with schools, thus increasing our children's health and learning possibilities, while assisting our local communities in the creation of a healthy agricultural economy; and WHEREAS, FTS programs are currently growing across the nation, and play an integral part in First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign, fighting against childhood obesity and supporting healthier food choices at school and at home; and WHEREAS, both a State Bill (SB 1179) and a House Bill (HB 1434) were presented to the twenty -fifth legislature (2009), both related to FTS programs for Hawai`i State, and both bills have been carried over to the 2010 Regular Session; and WHEREAS, specifically, the feasibility study requested through HB 1434 to the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) has recently been released, covering the background of school meals, while listing the pros and cons of the implementation of FTS programs for Hawai`i State; and WHEREAS, this study and data from a 2007 National Survey of Children's Flealth (NSCH) reveals that 17.3% of Hawaii children aged 10 to 17 are overweight, and another 11.2% are obese; and WHEREAS, many national studies have proven that the access to fresh, local produce through salad bars increased the daily consumption of vegetables and fruits, with children taking more than the USDA required minimum daily serving; and WHEREAS, though Hawaii County has to date no official FTS program in place, at least 52 out of 70 public /private /charter K -12 schools on Hawai`i Island have school gardens, providing hands -on learning experience in farming, developing agricultural and scientific education, and simply offering healthy outdoor activities; and WHEREAS, the Hawaii County Council is responsible for the health and welfare of the residents and children of the island; now, therefore,