03/21/07 Specialty crop bill introduced

Washington Ag March 21, 2007 Washington Congressman Rick Larsen was part of a bipartisan group of House members who yesterday introduced the Equitable Agriculture Today for a Healthy America Act. The bill would support specialty crop growers by increasing market access, encouraging and facilitating consumption of nutritious agricultural products, funding research programs, and increasing opportunities for family farmers in conservation programs. Larsen says the legislation is a big leap toward recognizing and encouraging the contributions that specialty crop growers make to our economy in Washington state, the Pacific Northwest and across the country. Specialty crops represent almost fifty percent of agriculture's total cash receipts. Well, the Center for Disease Control says a recent survey shows less than a third of American adults eat the daily recommended servings of fruit and vegetables, which are of course specialty crops. USDA nutritionist Kelly O'Connell says that's one reason the federal government has a new campaign to push fruit and vegetable consumption. O'Connell: "The Fruit and Vegetable More Matters program is actually the new version of what was previously called the Five A Day program. And it is a health initiative to motivate people to simply eat more fruits and vegetables." O'Connell says the program focuses on small achievable steps. I'm Bob Hoff.