school lunches

There's a heated debate brewing over school lunch menus. A new provision could change what’s on the table for kids across the country.

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez isn't holding back when it comes to Red Delicious apples. Let's just say her colorful comparison is making waves in the tree fruit community.

As lawmakers react to proposed changes in food assistance, the stakes couldn’t be higher for those who rely on programs like SNAP and WIC.

As schools shift to whole milk, dairy farmers are raising their glasses, too. This legislation could mean big changes for kids and farmers alike.

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025.

Last week, the Senate unanimously passed the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, clearing a major hurdle toward restoring whole and 2% milk options in school meal programs.

Groups like the National Milk Producers Federation and others applauded the Senate Ag Committee for supporting, by voice vote, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act.  The bill’s markup is a critical first step in passing the bipartisan legislation, which has already been approved at the House committee level.   “...

Last week, school food service professionals from across Washington gathered in Prosser for a hands-on, educational event to learn about including local beef in the school cafeteria.  The March 31st-April 1st event, hosted by the Washington State Beef Commission brought together 19 school nutrition professionals and farm to school coordinators in hopes of deepening their understanding of beef’s po

More than a dozen years after higher-fat milk was stripped from school meals to slow obesity in American kids and boost their health, momentum is growing to put it back.  Federal lawmakers have revived bills that would allow whole and 2% milk to be served again in schools, in addition to the skim and low-fat milk mandated since 2012.   ...

USDA is ending two pandemic-era programs that provided more than $1 billion for schools and food banks to purchase food from local farmers and producers.  About $660 million of that went to schools and childcare centers to buy food for meals through the Local Foods for Schools program.  A separ...