School Meals for All

The MetroWest Food Collaborative is a part of the Feed Kids Coalition, which is led by Project Bread. The Feed Kids Coalition is advocating to pass “An Act Relative to Universal School Meals” (H.714/S.314) to ensure that, while at school, every child is fed and ready to learn without worrying about cost or stigma. Universal school meals — school meals available at no-cost to every student — have benefits that extend far beyond the lunch table. Research shows when a child is well fed, they perform better in school, are at lower risk for obesity, and adjust to social situations better. Additionally, by making meal access universal, we help remove stigma around economic status and family situation—creating a more equitable and just educational environment.

Urban Ag Tax Credit

The MetroWest Food Collaborative signed onto a letter of testimony with the Conservation Law Foundation to support “An Act Promoting Urban Agriculture and Horticulture” (S.1893/H.2995). This bill addresses the challenge of land access through an optional tax incentive for landowners who make their land available for farming. Providing more access to land for farming in our cities (such as Framingham) will help accelerate the growth of urban agriculture and support low-income, people of color, immigrant, and New American farmers in search of land on which to grow. Urban farms play a vital role in our cities, providing access to healthy, local food, green space that benefits both body and mind, and more.