Lest we forget floods, another potential result from changing weather patterns due to climate change. Photo: US Fish & Wildlife Service

“What does it mean, in terms of our agricultural economy, if we don’t do more to curb the greenhouse gas issues we’re facing?” Cowan asked.

A good question, and members of Congress don’t ask it often enough. Farmers, and subsequently consumers, are already feeling the effects of climate change. Dr. Joe Glauber, Chief Economist of the USDA, answered the question by discussing a recent USDA report that included these key messages, paraphrased below:

• Bad news: Climate change will have an impact on agricultural productivity, but
• Good news: there are steps we can take to curb emissions and lessen the negative impacts of climate change.

The report explains that the economic effects of climate change on agriculture depend on a complex web of factors. For example, climate change can impact the livestock industry through the price of feed grains, competition for pasture land, and changing patterns of pests and diseases. How it all plays out could very well depend on how the livestock industry adapts to climate change. Farmers could build livestock shelters to protect their animals from extreme temperatures, but how will farmers protect livestock from the less predictable changes in disease distribution?

Climate change is already costing us. Continuing to use the agricultural economy as an example, consider the hefty price tag of the drought of 2012; it cost taxpayers $14.2 billion in crop insurance alone. Our pocketbooks will be feeling the cost of rising food prices throughout 2013. That is why it is even more important to take action and promote agricultural policies that encourage climate-friendly farming.

As several agricultural producers testified in the hearing, conservation practices have the potential to make farming systems more resilient to changing weather patterns.  For example, conservation tillage practices and cover crops have the potential to improve soil health so that the soil holds more water and sequesters more carbon, keeping harmful greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere and making agricultural land more productive.

 Sometimes people ask me why NWF is involved in the fight on climate change.  I work on agricultural issues, but all natural systems are connected. There is no greater threat to wildlife than climate change; it’s that simple.  A recent report by NWF shows the urgency of acting to protect wildlife against climate impacts. That is why I hope you’ll join us this Sunday at the “Forward on Climate Rally” in DC, or consider financially supporting our work.

According to the American Heart Association 1 in 3 American kids and teens is overweight or obese, nearly triple the rate in 1963.  With good reason, childhood obesity is now the No. 1 health concern among parents in the United States, topping drug abuse and smoking.

 

Health risks associated with obesity in young people -

• High Blood Pressure
• Diabetes
• Low Self Esteem
• Depression

Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona -
“Because of the increasing rates of obesity, unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity, we may see the first generation that will be less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.” 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jamie Oliver speaks on children and nutrition.

 These stats bring us to the food movement, not just the eat local and community CSA movement, but the food movement within our nation’s schools. Recently the USDA released new school nutrition guidelines for the first time in 15 years with the hopes of “raising a healthier generation of children”.  In an article from CNN Health, the new guidelines increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low fat milk while cutting the amount of sodium and saturated fat.  Also under the new rules federal minimum and maximum calorie intake guidelines would be established for the first time.

What better way to celebrate than through National Farm to School Month and National School Lunch Week October 15-19. The Farm to School Program is an effort to connect schools with local or regional producers in order to serve local or regionally produced foods in school cafeterias.  Check out the Farm to School Network for information, webinars, resources, and activities related to your state.  National School Lunch Week 2012′s theme is “School Lunch – What’s cooking?” and is celebrating the positive changes that have been made in school lunch programs across the country. 

So between new meal patterns, chef-inspired recipes and freshly prepared meals it just might be time to rethink eating at school!

One school district in Texas responds to the new changes with sleeves rolled up and ready!  Arlington ISD, the 8th largest school district in Texas, serves more than 60,000 meals per week, in its 73 schools.  Jackie Anderson, Director of Food Services feels the new guidelines have not been difficult to assimilate too since the district has been following the Texas Public School Nutrition and Food Policy which already has many of the same mandates that are now a part of the USDA’s School Nutrition Guidelines.  Although many changes have been seamless, Arlington has met some challenges which include, grade banding to insure students at specific grade levels are meeting the required standards. In addition, the district must meet minimums and maximums for proteins and grains per day and per week for different age groups as well as specifications for vegetable subgroups each week and every reimbursible meal must include a fruit or vegetable. 

An exciting part of what Arlington ISD is doing to meet the changes head on is working with the district’s professional chef, Eddie Palomino, whose main focus is the catering department, but also makes time to work with school kitchen staff, on reformulating recipes and making them more flavorful, working on presentation so food is more attractive to students, and most importantly making it fun to eat at school!

Greening the school building inside and out, the curriculum, and the student experience

    Other school nutrition ideas -

• Eco-Schools USA – Sustainable Food and Healthy Living pathways
• Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution for Schools
• Truck Farm
• USDA – Healthier School Day
• Choose My Plate

So it makes sense that efforts to connect kids and their families with nature would be key to improving our overall health and well-being at a time when childhood obesity and nature-deficit disorder are very real and detrimental problems. Perhaps even more significant is the nature disconnect of kids from underserved and minority communities.

Photo by Jack Dykinga, USDA.gov

More Kids in the Woods projects engage kids in activities and educational programs to “spark curiosity about nature and promote learning,” and is a cost-share program dependent upon the time, energy and resources contributed by thousands of partners. Children’s Forests, on the other hand, are focused on developed outdoor spaces within national or state forests, in urban parks or at schools, and are used to teach kids to care about the land while allowing them participation and leadership in forest management. NWF is excited to be partnering with USFS on a number of these projects.

The Forest Service grants align with President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors and First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Outside! initiatives. Launched in 2010, America’s Great Outdoors seeks to engage the public to work together to conserve and restore our lands and to connect to the outdoors. Let’s Move! focuses on solving the problem of childhood obesity, and includes a segment that aims to improve physical and mental health through outdoor activities.

Inspired? You can help get more kids outdoors by planning a local event to plant trees! You can also learn more about NWF’s efforts to connect kids and families to nature from our Be Out There campaign.

Photo courtesy of USDA

With the potential government shutdown looming closer and closer, many people far outside of DC are wondering what the government shutdown will mean for their daily lives.  While farmers may be miles from DC, many rely on the government for technical and financial assistance, particularly those who are trying to implement wildlife-friendly farming practices. So, what does a shutdown mean for your local farm?

With Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff sent home while the government is closed for business, a number of programs vital to the protection of natural resources on farms and ranches across the country will be delayed this year, and quite possibly severely reduced.  Farmers turn to USDA for programs that help them pay for and implement practices that conserve natural resources, such as soil and water, and protect these resources from pollution that can occur from conventional farming practices.

In the event of a government shutdown, farmers and landowners will face the following impacts:

• Sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program, a vital program that protects highly erodible land and lands still in native ecosystems, would not occur during a shutdown. With the April 15th sign-up deadline only a week away, the timing could not be worse.
• Contract processing through the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Organic Initiative of the Environmental Quality Improvement Program will be delayed until government reopens.  Both programs help farmers with cost-share assistance and technical guidance to implement conservation practices on operating farms and farmland.

For either sign-up or contract processing, a delay caused by government shutdown would render many farmers unable to participate in these programs, even though these programs are funded through the Farm Bill.  The longer shutdown lasts, the less likely farmers will be to sign up for these programs when the opportunity occurs, since many will have to make planting and land management decisions in time for spring.

For farmers who care about conservation, this is the worst possible time for a government shutdown.

What does this mean for wildlife?

If Congress cannot agree on a budget:

• Fragile native ecosystems such as grasslands may be converted to cropland
• Many farmers will not be able to implement practices to protect water quality or wildlife habitat
• Organic farmers relying on government programs to help them transition to organic production will be left in the lurch.

While a government shutdown may last only a few days or weeks, the vital services NOT provided by federal agencies to farmers and landowners during that time will result in significant and lasting consequences for farm profitability, wildlife habitat, and water quality.

Tell Congress to stop the stealth attack on America’s air, water and wildlife.

We at NWF would like to posit that perhaps the raccoon population is a little irked themselves. Just this week, U.S. Senators Collins and Nelson (with support from President Obama) proposed close to $80 billion worth of programs to be cut from the economic recovery package. If those cuts go through, raccoons and other wildlife will lose:

• $400 million to help the USDA modernize and jumpstart biofuel production that is efficient and wildlife friendly
• $100 million in funding to research alternative energy vehicles
• $1 billion to fund renewable energy and energy efficiency projects
• $5 billion to fund state mass-transit programs in areas with traffic density

Ranger Rick and his friends are doing their part to be heard. But being nocturnal creatures, they don’t have a lot of experience in getting Congress to do the right thing.

You can help. Send a message to your Senators and make sure they know how important it is to keep the economic stimulus package green and wildlife friendly.

Once you’ve done that– give them a call too.

If raccoons can stir up trouble at the White House, we can definitely stir up some trouble on Capitol Hill!