SB 6483: Local Farms Healthy Kids Initiative: WA Legislation Supporting EBT at Farmers Markets Presented by Karen Kenney

1. SB 6483: Local Farms Healthy
Kids Initiative
WA Legislation Supporting EBT at
Farmers Markets

2. What is SB 6483?
Eases state and school procurement
restrictions to better enable school
districts and state entities to choose local
Establishes a Farm to School Program
that will facilitate the purchasing of
Washington-grow farm products by
schools
Creates the Washington Grown Fresh
Fruit and Vegetable program

3. Outcomes Continued
Promotes school garden
Establishes a Farmers
Market Technology Program
Establishes three Farm to
Food Bank pilot programs
Expands and increases
funding for the Farmers
Market Nutrition Program
Funded at $1,490,000

4. Why is it so darn cool?
Precedent Setter!
First time food was
considered an environmental
issue.
Coalition Builder!
Created new strategic
relationships between
environmentalists and
sustainable ag people.

5. Lessons from the Greenies
Ag people learned how the environmental community works
together to promote agenda.
Helped mainstream the idea of spending money on local
farmers to promote big policy issues.

6. Putting the Pieces Together
Tricia working with Mo on
F25 to get funding with the
goal of building up more
markets for farmers.

7. Champions in House and Senate
Final Vote, 2008:
House: 95-1 (Dunn voted
no, 2 abstain).
Senate: 44-0, 5 excused

8. What's Happening Now?
Coalition is still working well due to strong
personal connections.
New common ground issues continue to
arise:
Formed Good Food Coalition
Worked on State Food Policy
Council 2009 (passed and vetoed)
Continued work on food policy
Worked on WIC & FMNP funding for 2011
and state food procurement changes
Good food folks worked to protect F2S
and WSDA budget

9. Farmers Market Tech Program
The Basics:
1 Year
$50,000
Report to Legislature in
November, 2009
Washing State Farmers
Market Association (WSFMA)
would serve as an advisory
committee.
WSFMA hired the contractor

10. Challenges to Capacity Building
Project was too big for
existing staff.
Project length too short to
build long term
infrastructure.
Inadequate funding to run the
program for two years.
Report deadline prevented
the accumulation of one year
of data.

11. Challenges to Capacity Building
Continuation of the program
requires additional funding.
Currently, no infrastructure to
continue to offer services.
Washington State University
did not have the most
efficient payment methods.
WSFMA had more streamline
payment systems.

12. Victories
20 Farmers Markets, serving
a wide variety of customers
and communities, were able
to accept EBT Cards.
After 2 years, 18 of those
markets have continued to
accept EBT.
EBT acceptance allowed for
a significant increase in sales
at participating markets.

13. Relationship Building
The program brought WSU
and WSFMA together.
Another grant opportunity
allowed the partnership to
continue.
WSFMA received broader
recognition due to the
affiliation with WSU and the
work they completed.

14. Lessons Learned
Building partnerships
between multiple local
agencies builds capacity for
both organizations.
Relationship development
takes time, and successful
relationships depend upon
the personalities involved.
Important to consider the
organization's long term
commitment to a project,
before adopting it.