A bill signed by Governor Nixon is another step toward more fresh fruits and veggies for the state’s schoolchildren and inmates. It creates the Farm-To-Table Advisory Board, to look for ways to get local produce into the state’s schools and correctional facilities.
House sponsor Casey Guernsey says right now red tape is holding up that process. He says local produce is healthier than what is currently served in cafeterias in those facilities, and would also save them some money.
The Bethany Representative says he isn’t necessarily looking to create a framework for how local produce might be sold to institutions. He just wants to make that process easier.
The Board will be made up of at least one representative from the University of Missouri Extension, the departments of Agriculture, Corrections, Economic Development and Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of Administration. The state Director of Agriculture will also appoint a member who is actively engaged in a small agribusiness practice.
It must have a report ready for the Governor, the General Assembly and the director of each agency represented by August 31, 2012.
