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“TASTE WASHINGTON DAY” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1855 on Sept. 29, 2010.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TASTE WASHINGTON DAY
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HON. JAY INSLEE
of washington
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Mr. INSLEE. Madam Speaker, today is Taste Washington Day, when more than sixty local schools and fifty local farms in my home state team up to celebrate Washington-grown produce and teach kids about healthy eating habits by featuring locally-sourced meals in the school cafeterias.
The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Farm-to-School Program and the Washington School Nutrition Association (WSNA) have partnered with local schools to feature Washington-grown foods in their school meals. From fresh-dug potatoes in potato salad to just-picked lettuces in fresh salads, this state-wide event is a great opportunity for students, teachers, and parents to consider where their food comes from, how it is produced and the benefits of a healthy diet.
Washington state is one of the most productive growing regions in the world. Our $38 billion agricultural industry is one of the cornerstones of our state's economy and supports over 160,000 jobs. If the Midwest is our nation's breadbasket and California our salad bowl, then I submit that Washington is our nation's fruit stand. We may be famous for our apples, which constitute 59 percent of U.S. production, but we also rank first in our nation's production of sweet cherries, red raspberries, hops, and pears. Our rich soils, unique climate and hard-
working growers produce a wide array of agricultural products like wheat, potatoes and wine grapes for local, regional, national and global markets. Our geographic location and deep-water ports make us well positioned for global trade. Nearly $14.8 billion in food and agricultural products were exported through Washington ports in 2008, the third largest total in the U.S.
Our agricultural bounty supports a $13 billion food processing industry that employs thousands of Washingtonians. Washington is the leading U.S. producer of apple juice and a leading producer of grape and berry juices. It also has a vibrant and growing wine industry and is the second largest wine producer in the nation with over 600 wineries. We have a strong and productive food and agriculture industry that feeds and employs people in every single county in Washington. Agriculture has been and will continue to be a strong part of our state's economic and cultural identity.
Taste Washington Day offers our kids a chance to establish a deeper connection and develop a better understanding of our state's food system, from farm to fork and each step in between. The more opportunities our children have to learn about the people, time, effort and resources necessary to turn a seed into a crop, the more they will appreciate the food on their plates. As the next generation, it will be up to them to continue our state's agricultural heritage and history.
The valuable and delicious lessons learned through events such as Taste Washington Day will help them carry on our state's proud traditions.
Nutrition is another key element of Taste Washington Day. Right now, Americans are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. For the sake of our nation's health, we need to find ways to instill healthy eating habits in our children, including eating more fruits and vegetables. The more exposure kids get to fresh, healthy foods, the more they will choose them. Pilot programs in Washington state schools that promote salad bars and healthy choices have shown us that given options, kids will choose fruits and vegetables over prepackaged, processed items. The Washington School Nutrition Association helped school districts put together the menus for today's event, showcasing local produce in healthy menu items, a win for local farms and local kids. Taste Washington Day shows kids that the healthy choice can also be a tasty choice.
I encourage my colleagues to take a look at the relationships Washington schools and farms are building and lessons they are teaching on Taste Washington Day and explore ways they can support such efforts in their own districts.
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