News

Oregon Farm to School and School Garden Health Impact Assessment

June 9th, 2011

Upstream Public Health, an Oregon non-profit health advocacy organization recently released the Farm to School and School Garden Health Impact Assessment (HIA) report which reflects input from many community members and Farm to School advocates. Full report and executive summary available at http://www.upstreampublichealth.org/F2SHIA The HIA examined the potential health impacts of Oregon state legislation (House Bill 2800) which would create a program reimbursing school districts for buying Oregon food and a competitive grant program that would fund food, agriculture and nutrition based activities. This HIA can be used as a model by other states hoping to gain the same win-win benefits like increased economic growth in the agricultural sector and the potential to increase children's fruit and vegetable consumption addressing childhood obesity, an epidemic that affects children all over the United States.