FRAC Chat

One of the most important ways we can honor our nation’s veterans is by ensuring they have access to the nutrition they need to thrive.
Millions of veterans face food insecurity. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service report, 11.1 percent of veterans between the ages of 18 to 64 lived in households reporting food insecurity. After controlling for demographic characteristics that normally predict food insecurity, such as age, educational attainment, and income, this report found that risk of food insecurity is 7.4 percent higher among veterans than nonveterans ages 18–64.

This September, the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health took place with the goal of ending hunger in the U.S. by 2030. It was the first conference of its kind in more than 50 years. The previous conference helped elevate hunger as a national priority and sparked major improvements and expansions to the federal nutrition programs.
Velle Perkins, an anti-hunger advocate with lived experience with food insecurity, attended the event. Below she shares her reflections on the Conference.

Add to the list of those expressing concerns about restrictive monetary policy: farmers. According to a Purdue University survey, agricultural “producers are concerned about the impact U.S. interest rate policy will have on their farms and the ag economy with over one-third of crop producers choosing it as the most important policy issue for their farming operation.” That finding predated the latest interest rate hike that the Federal Reserve announced on November 2, as part of its anti-inflation policy.

The Farm Bill, which comes up in Congress every five years, has numerous titles, including one for nutrition and others for crop insurance, conservation, energy, and many other agricultural program areas. Recent statements from key Farm Bill stakeholders and public polling show growing support for a “unified” 2023 Farm Bill that strengthens the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

October is Growing Healthy Schools Month in Washington, D.C.! During this month, we set aside time to celebrate all the ways in which the District of Columbia focuses on health and wellness in schools.
This year, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), the administering agency for all D.C. schools, chose the theme “Recover, Reconnect, Refresh” as a way to revitalize student well-being, as well as their connection to fellow students, teachers, their community, and schools.