RICHMOND, Va. - More Virginia students are getting breakfast in school, according to a new report, and hunger-fighting advocates say the state can do more to help boost learning.
According to the Food Research and Action Center, more of the kids who need it are gaining access to school breakfasts in Virginia and around the nation. LaTonya Reed, director of Virginia Hunger Solutions, said local schools could add strategies such as letting kids eat in class or after first period, or letting them grab a breakfast on the go.
"Really get creative," she said. "When a school breakfast is served in the classroom or served in kiosks where kids can grab their breakfasts on their way to class, school breakfast participation increases."
Statistics show that kids who eat breakfast in school have better attendance, better test scores and fewer discipline problems. As one school official put it, students can't be hungry to learn if they're just plain hungry.
According to the Food Research and Action Center, 320,000 more children nationwide ate a healthy breakfast at school last year than the year before. Today, said FRAC president Jim Weill, more than 11 million low-income kids eat breakfast at school.
"That's just hugely important," he said, "not just so kids are less hungry, but hugely important for their health, for their behavior in school, and for their ability to learn."
Virginia has more than 1,900 schools that offer breakfast, with 88 added just in the past school year. Now, Reed said, the state can work on getting more kids to take advantage of it.
"The good news," she said, "is that there are effective strategies available to make sure that all of our children have access to healthy, nutritious meals that will allow them to perform well in the classroom."
The first week in March is National School Breakfast Week.
More information is online at frac.org.
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New funding is making it easier than ever for Oregon farmers to become certified organic.
To achieve certification, farmers must go three years without using synthetic additives such as fertilizers or pesticides. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Oregon has launched the Organic Transition Initiative to provide financial and technical support.
Ben Bowell, director of education and advocacy for the group Oregon Tilth, noted the funding is especially valuable because the transition can be costly.
"During that time they have to be farming as organic farmers but they are not able to access an organic crop premium," Bowell pointed out.
Farmers can also get support through the initiative to develop organic systems for fertilization, building soil and controlling weeds.
Bowell explained the initiative is one of a three-part national USDA Organic Transition Initiative. This five-year program provides mentorship from experienced organic farmers, technical assistance and an organic market development program. He emphasized with the three programs, the combined $300 million investment in organic farming is historic.
"Right now is an amazing time to consider transitioning to organic in terms of all of the support that's available," Bowell stated.
Erica Thompson, farm operations manager for the U-pick blueberry farm Blueberry Meadows near Corvallis, which has been in her family since 1993, is a little over a year into the three-year process. She said figuring out a new fertility program and disease management has been a challenge, along with understanding the application and documentation process.
Thompson added working with the Organic Transition Initiative has been helpful.
"Being part of it has really solved or like is in the process of solving all my questions and uncertainties," Thompson observed.
Along with farmers, support is available for ranchers and forest landowners looking to go organic. Applications for the current round of funding are due Jan. 17.
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A Detroit nonprofit said it is helping people in the city reclaim control over the food they eat from where it is grown to where they buy it.
The Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network is leading the mission for what they call "food sovereignty," focusing on helping Detroiters access healthy, culturally meaningful food and taking control of its sustainable production while addressing food insecurity.
Shakara Tyler, board president of the network, said they operate a seven-acre farm in Detroit's River Rouge Park.
"We grow food so it's more accessible for community members, so they don't have to rely on liquor stores and gas stations to access basic necessities to feed themselves and their families," Tyler explained. "We also grow food to make a little bit of money."
About one-third of households in Detroit report experiencing food insecurity, with 80% of its residents relying on "fringe food" sources like fast food chains, liquor stores and corner stores where items like fresh produce are not available.
Detroit's urban farming scene has experienced significant growth, with more than 2,000 gardens and farms operating throughout the city. Tyler explained starting the farms is not just about offering healthy food, it is also about giving people a sense of ownership and empowerment, which she noted requires a thoughtful approach.
"You adapt that by starting where people are," Tyler emphasized. "Asking questions about their values and their experiences and then building from there, and not assuming that what works in one area will work in another area because this work is very place-based."
Michigan is not the only state where this mission has caught on. As of this year, there are close to 30,000 community garden plots in city parks across the United States, marking a 22% increase from 2021.
This story is based on original reporting by Dalya Massachi for Everyday Climate Champions.
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Hunger is an issue for many students on Washington state's postsecondary campuses this holiday season.
A survey of nearly 10,000 students in Washington state in the fall of 2022 found many students are struggling to get the food they need and secure housing.
Jennifer Dellinger, policy associate for the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, noted half the students surveyed were experiencing insecurity in housing and food the previous year.
"Less than half of students experiencing those insecurities were able to actually access the supports or resources that they needed to meet those needs within six months," Dellinger reported.
The needs were higher for certain groups, such as Black and Native American students, with about two-thirds of students saying they had a hard time meeting basic needs.
Jamielyn Wheeler senior director of strategic initiatives for the nonprofit Northwest Harvest, said, "This is a chronic problem that is severely impacting students' ability to push through to degree attainment."
Dellinger emphasized the state found students do better when they have access to supports. However, applying for food and housing resources can be complicated. Lawmakers passed a bill in 2023 to put people on university and community and technical college campuses to help with this issue.
"That's how the Basic Needs Act kind of was born," Dellinger recounted. "It really established a way to support students at being able to navigate benefits through positioning those navigators at all 34 of our CTCs."
Under the Basic Needs Act, colleges and universities must also implement a strategic plan to address basic needs for students. Dellinger pointed out her office is collecting data to find places where it can help the most and bring potential solutions to lawmakers. She added it might be ensuring food stamps, or EBT, is accepted on campuses, providing child care or simply making sure more food is available.
"We have pantries at our campuses but are they stocked appropriately enough? Can we support local collaborations for farm fresh foods to be delivered and distributed to campuses?" Dellinger suggested.
You can reach Uplift WI by calling 534-202-5438.
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