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Wisconsin’s Joint Finance Committee restores Farm to School funding in budget

Wisconsin’s Joint Finance Committee unanimously voted Thursday to restore Farm to School program funding in the biennial budget.  Wisconsin Farmer’s Union Government Affairs Director Nick Levendofsky says a coalition of groups lobbied for the funding and showed the committee the value of the program.  “Another thing that we did here recently was collect letters from farmers who sell into the program and from school nutritionists who have seen the benefits of the program right here on the local level within their schools.  I feel like that played a very important role in hearing the voices that are affected by this and the folks that are actually down here on the ground doing the work and seeing the benefits.”

If the provision remains unchanged in the state budget, it would restore nearly 133-thousand dollars for the Farm to School Advisory Council’s work and for the state’s coordinator position at the Department of Ag, Trade, and Consumer Protection.

The Wisconsin Farm to School Program has connected K-12 public and private schools, preschools, universities and other institutions with Wisconsin-grown and processed fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and other nutritious foods since 2009.

Nick Levendofsky discusses the Farm to School funding with Brownfield’s Larry Lee