Letter to Michelle Obama

Here is a letter I received from our Director of Policy, Noreen Warnock,written by one of our partners in the Food to School Network. There has been an increased emphasis on food directed to President Obama and the First Lady. This presidency promotes hope and change. We can't move forward with hope, while our country still suffers hunger and malnutrition. Michelle has the ability to influence something other than fashion.

Dear Mom-In-Chief,

As First Lady you have the ability to set the table for what our nation's children eat by adding a plank of food justice to your platform. Many ideas have already been sent your way ranging from starting an organic garden on the White House lawn to appointing a First Farmer. Where should you start?

I request that you make the health of our nation's children your platform priority. Especially with two growing girls to nurture and nourish, you must understand that we will only be successful as a nation when all children in our country are healthy and well-fed.

You have the support of the 44th President. The Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, has stated that President Obama stressed to him that the USDA should ensure more nutritious food is provided to children.

And you have a ripe opportunity with the current reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, which is the federal legislation that establishes the guidelines for our nation's school meal programs and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program.

With at least 35 to 40 percent of children's daily eating occurring during the school day, a reformed cafeteria could improve the health and increase the capacity to learn for the 30 million children that eat at school 180 days per year.

When you invited Chef Sam Kass into the White House Kitchen, your spokeswoman said "he happens to have a particular interest in healthy food and local food." Mr. Kass has spoken out previously on the need to change the school lunch menu by decreasing the high levels of sugar and fat. He's right.

Earlier this month the results of the latest school nutrition dietary assessment study by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association exposed that in the 2004-2005 school year, only 6 to 7 percent of schools met all nutrition standards. This is unacceptable.

Sasha and Malia are fortunate to be eating nutritious local, organic lunches at Sidwells Friends School. This is what your girls will be dining on at lunch on Tuesday, February 10th:

Organic Vegetarian Chili, Carrot Apple Soup, Roasted Local Beet Salad, Salad du Jour, All Natural Beef Chili, Brown Rice, Steamed Zucchini and Grapefruit Slices

The above shows the solution can be delicious. How wonderful that you and the president can provide local, fresh and healthy foods for the First Daughters, but what about kids in the rest of the country? From your previous neighborhood on the south side of Chicago to your new community in Washington, D.C. with the highest childhood obesity rates in the country, the nutritional divide that stymies the development and potential of youth is an open wound.

The average school cafeteria unfortunately operates on the lowest common denominator of cost, not quality. The USDA currently reimburses schools $2.57 for every free lunch it serves and lower amounts for reduced cost and full price meals. This leaves about one dollar to cover actual food costs, once labor and overhead costs are factored in. What do you expect food service directors to feed our kids on $1.00?

Thankfully, students, parents, food service staff, teachers, farmers, school administration, and other community members have a taste for change and are working to incorporate fresh, local product—no matter the perceived barriers—through what is called "farm to school" programs.

The farm to school movement has not waited for the federal government to make children a priority. There are over 2,000 known programs in 40 states as reported by the National Farm to School Network, a joint project of the Center for Food & Justice at Occidental College and the Community Food Security Coalition.

Even though I promote from scratch cooking, you don't have to start from scratch in your platform.

The Child Nutrition Forum, a collaboration of many groups, has a statement of principles that outlines key issues to champion. From there you can delve into an extensive menu of ideas such as establishing a national farm to school grant program or strengthening nutrition standards for school meal programs.

On February 26, I invite you to attend one of two Congressional briefings on farm to school and hear directly from those working every day for a healthy America.

Fulfill your wish to be America's Mom-in-Chief by making sure that every child has the nutrients necessary to carry our country forward—now that is a stimulus plan I can believe in.



Debra Eschmeyer

National Farm to School Network

Program Media & Marketing Manager
Tel: 419-753-3412