Imagine a Washington where fresh food goes straight from a local farmer’s field to a student’s lunch table. Healthier options for our children, more money in our local economies, and less oil and gas burned transporting food from out of state.

It should be a slam dunk. I recently introduced legislation to promote the use of local foods in school lunches, and it passed the Senate with bipartisan support. But obstructionist Republicans are holding up the bill in the House, and might gut this program before it ever gets out of Congress.

At a time of record drought, we simply can’t wait to pass the Farm Bill -- we need to make clear that politics shouldn’t trump common sense. Will you help me send that message?

Tell the House: Pass the Senate’s bipartisan Farm Bill to help Washington children, farmers, and communities!

Over 160,000 Washington jobs depend on agriculture, and the Senate Farm Bill will support these jobs through needed research investments. At the same time, it will increase exports to other states and countries through an expansion of the Market Access Program, which has already had positive impacts on Washington crops such as apples, cherries, and pears.

In addition, my Pulse Health Pilot amendment to the Farm Bill will give our schoolchildren healthy, locally grown food options, and promote Washington agriculture from across the state. This program will increase student access to healthy food, move farmers’ produce to local tables, and keep more money with our farmers and local communities.

Local food is a priority worth fighting for. Now that we’ve come this far, we need to tell the House that health and well-being is not a special interest to be trimmed, but an affordable, common-sense priority that is vital to our local communities.

Stand with me to demand healthy foods and strong agriculture in Washington -- sign my petition today!

Our Washington farmers grow healthy, nutritious foods that can feed our children and help our economies thrive. It’s time that we go to bat for children and our farmers, and make sure that the people growing our food aren’t mowed under by factory farms.

Help me make our food more local, more natural, and more available for everyone in Washington -- Please click here to take action today.

Thank you,

Maria Cantwell U.S. Senator