Each day, 29 million students participate in the national school lunch program. The Nebraska Food Council is urging Congress to reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act, with inclusion of the Farm to School Act and Kids Eat Local Act, to bring responsible food choices into schools.

Last spring, Congress signaled an attempt to build a new Child Nutrition Act. This legislation is traditionally revised every five years and, while most program authorizations are permanent or extended through annual appropriations, a new Child Nutrition Act has not been reauthorized since 2010.

Throughout our nation, 42 percent of schools have contributed $789 million to local foods through farm to school programs.

This October marks the eighth annual National Farm to School Month, a time to recognize the importance of improving child nutrition, to support local economies, and to educate communities about the origins of their food.