In Exchange with USDA Secretary, Rep. Delgado Continues Push to Expand Milk Offerings in Schools
Press Release
Last week, U.S. Representative and Chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit Antonio Delgado (NY-19) asked Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack how the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) can encourage whole milk in schools. In 2021, Reps. Delgado and Glenn "GT' Thompson (PA-15) introduced the bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, which allows for unflavored and flavored whole milk to be offered in school cafeterias.
"I am committed to working with USDA to ensure we improve milk consumption in our schools," said Rep. Delgado. "I'm also proud to lead the bipartisan effort to provide more choices for healthy and nutritious milk in schools. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is good for young people and good for our dairy producers in today's tough farm economy."
Congressman Delgado has been a consistent supporter of upstate agriculture, including dairy. He has introduced bipartisan legislation, the Small Farm to School Act, to create a pilot program allowing public schools to be reimbursed at a higher rate under the National School Lunch Program for sourcing lunch products from small, local farms. He also sent a letter to HHS and the USDA encouraging them to review studies that have demonstrated beneficial or neutral effects of dairy foods at all fat levels. In 2021, Rep. Delgado hosted Secretary Vilsack in New York's 19th Congressional District to speak with Rep. Delgado's locally-based Agriculture Advisory Committee and discuss a number of topics important to local farmers, including the need to expand milk offerings in schools.
Rep. Delgado revisited the issue of whole milk in schools during the recent House Agriculture Committee hearing "To Review the State of the Rural Economy with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack." During the exchange, Rep. Delgado asked how the USDA is working to expand milk options in schools and address barriers to milk consumption.
Source