(KIWA Staff Photo)Statewide, Iowa – Two candidates running for statewide office are calling for a majority of the food served in Iowa schools to be raised in Iowa.
Zach Lahn — the Republican candidate for governor — says it’s about creating new markets to give farmers an off-ramp to raise other commodities.
Lahn is also calling for a change in the regulations for USDA Farm-to-School grants.
Chris Jones, the Democrat running for State Agriculture Secretary, says the state should set a goal of having half of the food served in Iowa schools come from Iowa farms within 10 years. Jones proposes a 10-million-dollar-a-year program to provide the off-ramp to farmers who want to raise healthy food.
Jones says school cafeterias serve nearly 80 million meals each school year and Iowans will spend $93 billion on groceries this year — but 97 percent of the food eaten here is imported.
Jones says raising food for human consumption will also revive rural communities.
Jones says a diversity of crops, like fruits and vegetables, and restoring pastures to rebuild Iowa’s cattle industry will improve Iowa’s water quality, too.
