School lunches: Essential for busy parents

This summer zoomed by way too fast – unless you’re a parent or grandparent with kids at home. Then the summer likely wasn’t fast enough.

Personally, I’ve endured a never-ending chorus of “I’m hungry” from my daughter and the neighborhood kids. I’ve made many, many trips to the store this summer for milk, ice cream and snacks. I’m so ready for school to start again.

I’m also grateful for school lunches, and the dedicated cooks who prepare them. I know school lunches are nutritious, and they also help introduce my daughter to new foods she refuses to eat at home. If she sees her friends eating it, then she might too.

The National School Lunch Program is funded through the U.S. Farm Bill. Yes, the same farm bill that also provides a financial safety net for farmers, who must endure the risk of unpredictable weather and disrupting world events to their livelihoods.

Surprisingly, the largest share of farm bill funding, about 75%, is spent on federal nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program and the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The farm bill also funds rural development projects in Iowa, including broadband infrastructure; solar and wind energy; and grants for rural businesses, hospitals, fire departments and more.

Congress is currently negotiating a new farm bill. And we all need the farm bill more ever. The future will bring extreme weather, global conflict and advanced technologies, like A.I., that will revolutionize farming and our food.

To learn more about how the farm bill impacts us all, please visit the American Farm Bureau’s website: www.fb.org/issue/farm-policy/farm-bill.

Speaking of school lunch, a cold carton of milk is one of the most nutritious foods that students receive. In this issue of the Iowa Dish, we take a closer look at milk pasteurization and safety.

We also learn about new state-funded conservation efforts and the progress Iowa farmers have made so far in improving water quality through continuous innovation.

And ahead of the football kick-off, try the smoked bone-in beef short ribs recipe, featured below, at your next tailgate party.

Also keep checking Iowa Farm Bureau’s website, www.iowafarmbureau.com, for your chance to win VIP tickets to the next America Needs Farmers (ANF) Game Day Oct. 12 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. The University of Iowa Hawkeyes will take on the University of Washington, one of the new teams in the Big 10 conference in 2024.

Best of luck to all you Hawkeye and Cyclone fans this fall!

Teresa Bjork
Editor, The Iowa Dish