HM 15 — "NM FOOD & FARMS & SCHOOL NUTRITION DAY"

HOUSE MEMORIAL 15 54TH LEGISLATURE- STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSIO, 2019 INTRODUCED BY Rebecca Dow 6 8 10 A MEMORIAL DECLARING JANUARY 24, 2019 "NEW MEXICO FOOD AND FARMS AND SCHOOL NUTRITION DAY" IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

145 WHEREAS, New Mexico has a vibrant food and farming culture that is significant to the rural economy and provides employment opportunities on farms, in direct, wholesale and e t 17 retail outlets and food processing, distribution and value-value-added w l n d 18 added business;

and = = 19 a l WHEREAS, studies have shown that for every one dollar i a e r 20 ($1.00) that goes to local agricultural producers, one dollar a t m m 21 eighty cents ($1.80) is circulated in the local economy;

and d r e 22 WHEREAS, if New Mexico consumers purchased only fifteen c e s k 23 percent of their food from the state's farmers and ranchers, it e a n b 24 would increase annual farm income by three hundred ninety-two u [ million dollars ($392,000,000);

and .212533.1 WHEREAS, an investment in children's health will help stem the rise in childhood obesity in New Mexico, where thirty-two percent of children are overweight or obese;

and HM 15 WHEREAS, the school nutrition and summer meal programs Page 1 serve healthy meals, free and at low cost, to students in New Mexico schools;

and WHEREAS, many children consume at least one-half of their daily calories at school, and for many children, food served at e e 17 school is the only meal they eat daily;

and e e n d 18 WHEREAS, increased investment from the legislature enables = = l ] 19 schools to feature New Mexico-grown produce, meet federal a l r i 20 nutrition requirements, serve more fresh fruits and vegetables t e a t to children and support economic development opportunities for m m 21 e d r e 22 local farmers, entrepreneurs and communities;

and c e r c 23 WHEREAS, over the last six years, more than fifty-seven e a n b 24 school food authorities have purchased New Mexico-grown produce u [ for school meals with state funds, enhancing the diets of three .212533.1 - 2 - hundred thirty-three thousand three hundred students, promoting healthier lifestyles and increasing academic achievement, while close to two million dollars ($2,000,000) has benefitedbenefitted New Mexico's farming economy;

and WHEREAS, seventy farmers' markets are providing New Mexico products to forty-five thousand people each week in thirty-one counties by direct sales and through the supplemental nutrition assistance program, the special HM 15 Page 2 supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children and senior farmers' market nutrition programs, creating fresh food access for low-income individuals and resulting in annual gross sales to farmers of over seven million five hundred thousand dollars ($7,500,000) in 2018;

and WHEREAS, eighty double up food bucks outlets, including farmers' markets, grocery stores, farm stands and mobile markets, are making it more affordable for supplemental e e 17 nutritional assistance program participants across the state to e e n d 18 increase the amount of fresh, New Mexico-grown produce that = = l ] 19 they eat while providing nine hundred seventy New Mexico a l r i 20 farmers with more than one million dollars ($1,000,000) in t e a t electronic benefits transfer sales during 2018;

and m m 21 e d r e 22 WHEREAS, a healthier population will help to save the c e r c 23 state an additional three hundred twenty-four million dollars e a n b 24 ($324,000,000) in obesity-related health care expenses and an u [ additional one billion two hundred million dollars .212533.1 - 3 - ($1,200,000,000) in diabetes-related health care expenses;

and WHEREAS, the growing number of New Mexico community and HM 15 Page 3 school gardens provides an important way for children and families to engage in growing food and provides a way for children to learn about nutrition and life sciences;

e e 17 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF e e n d 18 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that it recognize = = l ] 19 that the time has come to invest in New Mexico's children, a l r i 20 economy and future;

and t e a t BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that January 24, 2019 be declared m m 21 e d r e 22 "New Mexico Food and Farms and School Nutrition Day" in the c e r c 23 house of representatives;

and e a n b 24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be u [ transmitted to the executive director of the New Mexico .212533.1 - 4 - farmers' marketing association.

-HM 515 -Page 4 625 8 10 12 14 16 e e 17 e e n d 18 = = l ] 19 a l r i 20 t e a t m m 21 e d r e 22 c e r c 23 e a n b 24 u [ .212533.1