In less than a month, Congress will vote on this nation’s most important piece of food and farm legislation — the 2007 Farm Bill. It’s important for Nebraska because it affects our farmers and everybody’s health, especially that of children and lower-income families.

The farm bill also can make a difference to our state by increasing funding for Community Food Projects. This program enables communities to develop their own solutions to hunger, nutrition and farm problems. But right now there’s only $5 million for the whole country.

Open Harvest, in partnership with the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department and Community CROPS, was awarded more than $275,000 in September 2006 for a Community Food Project grant titled “From Garden to Table.”

As a result, Lincoln Parks and Recreation is serving as a neighborhood-based primary community partner to provide youth-driven community gardening activities, hands-on nutrition education and cooking classes, and to recruit project volunteers and whole family involvement.

More importantly, the grant benefits low-income, minority and New American children and their families.

Currently, the parks department has established and maintains four community gardens throughout Lincoln in low-income neighborhoods. As a result of the USDA grant, communities now thrive as food self-reliant and knowledgeable in healthy eating and fitness.

The House recently passed a Community Food Project proposal as discretionary funding, meaning farming and food groups need to go back and ask for funding every year. However, mandatory funding helps to make projects sustainable.

CFPs provide communities with increased access to local produce production, which has resulted in expansion of farmers markets across Nebraska. Compare this to 10 years ago, when people purchased all produce at supermarkets that transported food from thousands of miles away. The farm bill should correct this problem.

Today there is a growing attitude about fresh and homegrown produce that particularly benefits our state’s farmers. CFPs support Nebraska farmers by allowing them to compete in a local market economy. Local connections will give schools and communities opportunities for healthy food produced virtually in their own backyard.

What happens in Washington, D.C., has a direct impact on our children and farmers. We need to speak up for healthy food and local agriculture. Nebraska senators have powerful influence on the farm bill and could serve as advocates for Community Food Projects.

Amber Ham is Fitness and Nutrition coordinator for Lincoln Parks and Recreation.