United Fresh hopes to keep ‘fresh’ in fruit and vegetable program

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program provides 4 million low-income elementary students in 8,000 schools with a fresh fruit or vegetable snack every day at school. Funded at $184 million in 2016-17, the program began as a pilot serving only about 100 schools in 2002.  While the goal of advocates is to increase funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program in the 2018 farm bill, DiSogra said the current fight is to protect the program and keep it focused on fresh produce.  DiSogra said United Fresh supports the Senate Agriculture Committee’s child nutrition bill, which protects the integrity of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program while allowing flexibility for schools in remote to serve processed fruits and vegetables. United Fresh opposes the House Education and Workforce Committee bill which would allow all forms of processed fruits and vegetables and other snacks to be served with the program. It is uncertain when the House and Senate will take up their respective bills, but some media reports say the Senate could be first to act.