§ 4719

It is the purpose of this chapter to establish a farm-to-school program to:(1) encourage Vermont residents in developing healthy and lifelong habits of eating nutritious local foods; (2) maximize use by Vermont schools of fresh and locally grown, produced, or processed food; (3) work with partners to establish a food, farm, and nutrition education program that educates Vermont students regarding healthy eating habits through the use of educational materials, classes, and hands-on techniques that inform students of the connections between farming and the foods that students consume; (4) increase the size and stability of direct sales markets available to farmers; and(5) increase participation of Vermont students in child nutrition programs by increasing the selection of available foods. (b) State Farm-to-School Network goal. It is the goal of the Farm-to-School Program to establish a food system that by 2025:(1) engages 75 percent of Vermont schools in an integrated food system education program that incorporates community-based learning; and (2) purchases 50 percent of food from local or regional food sources. (Added 2017, No. 63, § 1.)