Press Releases

LEWES, Del.  — Today, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester was joined by Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small at Lewes Elementary School to celebrate School Lunch Hero Day and critical investments that are being made to increase healthy food options for children in Delaware. They participated in a garden harvest with Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids to highlight how investments made through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are supporting healthy food options for children and families. This comes after USDA awarded Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids a grant to support their first-ever Garden Coordinator workshop for staff professional development, and to welcome three new partner schools for the Spring 2024 growing season. Additionally, USDA recently announced a major final rule which updates nutrition standards for school meals.

“Proper nutrition during childhood and access to regular, healthy meals is critically important for children’s health, wellness, and brain development,” said Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, member of the House Health Subcommittee. “Further, for some students, meals provided at school may be the only, or the most substantial, reliable food and nutrition source throughout their day. That is why I am so grateful to Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small for coming to Lewes and to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for all they do to support healthy foods for our children and families. I especially want to recognize all the School Lunch Heroes we saw during this visit, and to the students and educators at Lewes Elementary for their passion for learning.”

“President Biden and USDA recognize how investing in high-quality, nutritious school meals creates healthier, brighter futures for kids across America," said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small. “I was proud to join Representative Blunt Rochester today at Lewes Elementary to discuss the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to ensure kids across Delaware have the nutrition they need to help them reach their full potential.”

“Childhood nutrition is a pillar of our first spouse initiative, First Chance Delaware, because we’re not going to make real progress in any of our work for our kids if there’s not enough healthy food on their tables,” said First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney, who joined the school visit. “School gardens have a unique role in that effort. For one thing, pretty much every student will eat food that they help to grow, which builds good nutrition habits that can also impact families and even friends.” Quillen Carney added, “Schools are where kids are. Partnerships with school nutrition professionals, pantry and backpack sponsors, and organizations like Healthy Food for Healthy Kids have been among the most rewarding of my time in this role, and I want to thank all involved in that work to give Delaware’s kids a first chance to succeed." 

"HFHK has been educating students across Delaware on how to grow their own food through plant-based science for nearly 20 years,” said Lydia Sarson, Executive Director of Healthy Food for Healthy Kids. “We are so grateful for USDA's support during this time because without their understanding of the value school gardens bring to our young students and future citizens we wouldn't be able to partner with 52 schools across the state and serve nearly 22,000 children. Thank you to Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester for all she does to advocate for the future of Delaware and to the incredible educators and Nutrition Services out there who work this program every year, because we are growing more than just vegetables in our school gardens. We are growing healthy habits, hands on learning, and community." 

###