Thread by @Ximena_Bustillo

VILSACK THREAD: Back on the beat w @SecVilsack where he is visiting a local DC school during breakfast ahead of #WHConfHungerHealth. Before meeting w reporters he met with teachers, National PTA and DC public schools leadership. @nprpolitics

Reminder: students have lost universal free meals for this school year after having them as a pandemic benefit for two years. Recap with my story here: npr.org/2022/08/25/111…

The school has a small garden students help maintain. During the summer it’s also a community garden.

This school, John Burroughs Elementary, is a community eligibility school meaning breakfast and lunch are free for all.

Vilsack asks the students if they’re farmers today and the tell him about what they grow and cook out of the garden, including a pizza

8 schools are launching a pilot where they don’t partner with outside vendors for food (like Sodexo) and instead do everything in house. This includes making a lot food in house from scratch.

Vilsack talks to the kids about their food. Press conference to come

Presser: Vilsack says the DC school system has 94,000 kids. In meeting with folks before press he says educators emphasized to him that there is a connection between meals and nutrition and performance in school. Sometimes the best meals students eat come from school.

Vilsack acknowledges that the transition back to reduced price meals and full price is a big transition for parents and schools — echoes the example educators have mentioned to me that parents who have younger kids may have never gone through the application process before.

Vilsack says as USDA looks forward or the #WHConfHungerHealth they need to look for creative ways to increase nutrition in foods served while keeping kids interested in them.

On #WHConfHungerHealth : Details are still sparse but Vilsack says he has seen a “robust” agenda and it’s going to “be a long day”.