FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

For more information contact:
Ted Sloan

(502) 564-4696

COMMISSIONER FARMER HONORS SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer praised the National School Lunch Commodity Program on the eve of National School Lunch Week Oct. 15-19. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Division of Food Distribution administers the program in Kentucky.

“The National School Lunch Commodity Program makes it possible for school children all over Kentucky and the United States to have affordable and nutritious meals,” Commissioner Farmer said. “Study after study has shown that kids who get enough good food to eat do better in school, and that gives them a better chance for a bright future. The Department’s work for this program is one of the most important things we do.”

The National School Lunch Commodity Program provides nutritionally balanced lunches at little or no charge to children in public, independent and nonprofit private schools and in residential child care institutions. The lunches contain no more than 30 percent of calories from fat and less than 10 percent from saturated fat in a week as recommended in federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The lunches provide one-third of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium and calories.

Each year, the KDA distributes 17.3 million pounds of U.S. Department of Agriculture commodities valued at $13.7 million to about 1,600 Kentucky schools that serve more than 500,000 students daily. Another $1.6 million from the U.S. Department of Defense is used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables for Kentucky students. In 2006, USDA purchased more than $12.9 million of commodities from Kentucky farmers and industry to distribute across the United States.

Nationally, nearly 30 million children are served school lunches in 99,000 schools each day.

--30--