Planting the Seeds for Public Health: How the Farm Bill Can Help Farmers to Produce and Distribute Healthy Foods

Success in the battle to end childhood obesity will depend, in part, on the degree of success farmers experience producing healthy food crops, such as fruits and vegetables, and marketing them in a manner that ensures they reach vulnerable children. In this endeavor, it will be critical to achieve a balance between providing an affordable and accessible supply of fruits and vegetables and a fair return on investment to the farmers who grow them. Strategic marketing through the rebuilding of local and regional food systems—including direct marketing by farmers to consumers, schools, and nutrition program recipients—will help increase children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables and ensure that farmers receive a fair price for their production.