SPEECH FOR NH STATE OFFICIALS

Education and the Farm Bill

Stephane Bush, Taelin Lanier

BACKGROUND
S: We would like to take a few moments to discuss some issues that are coming down the pipes
regarding the Farm Bill...we want this to be on your radar as hearings get moving and debate begins.

As you may know, The Farm Bill authorizes funding for programs related to agriculture, food and
nutrition. There are two nutrition education components in the Farm Bill- SNAP Education (SNAP Ed) and
the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, aka EFNEP that are designed to be used in
conjunction with SNAP to empower families to make healthier choices.

This advocacy has a very personal meaning for me and Taelin. As two people that grew up in food
insecure households, whove lead SNAP Ed lessons as educators, and that now as adults are deeply
invested in nutrition as our future career, we have felt and seen the beneficial effects of nutrition
education programs. Their role is crucial in shaping the future of Americas health and minimizing health
disparities across the socioeconomic spectrum.

PROBLEM
T: Let me summarize the problem our country and New Hampshire is facing. Currently, most American
diets fall short of health recommendations. Inactivity and poor diets lead to costly preventable chronic
diseases. We are talking diabetes, cancer, obesity and heart disease. Food insecure populations in
particular are at a greater disadvantage when it comes to chronic diseases since they face unique
challenges due to scarce resources.

Fortunately, national food insecurity has gone down, but its still higher than pre-recession numbers
(13% 2015; 15% 2011; 11% 2007). Unfortunately, in our state, this percentage has increased. NH food
insecurity had gone up 5% since 2000. Thats 130,000 more constituents that may go without food
tonight. But the problem isnt just hunger. If left unresolved, food insecurity can lead to the
development of preventable diseases. For example, more than 1 in 4 of NH third graders are overweight
or obese, and 68% of our adults are too.

Luckily there is a preventative solution. Its affordable and effective. The solution is reauthorizing and
fully funding nutrition education--SNAP Ed and EFNEP--in the Farm Bill.
SOLUTION
S: to those in our field, prevention is the obvious solution and Nutrition is the #1 prevention program.
Both SNAP Ed and EFNEP, which are evidence based programs, have been proven effective in improving
inadequate diets and alleviating food insecurity. Such programs help spare money from Medicaid and
Medicare, who end up footing the bill for treatment of chronic disease. For every dollar spent in
programs we save $10 on health care costs.

Our first program, SNAP Ed is a mix of: direct education, policy and environmental changes, and sOcial
media which states can choose what combination to use them in to individualize for their state. NHL
gets 1 mil which has gone into direct education for 1,330 families, 3,100 children and 233 seniors, 12
community gardens, 43,500 contacts in farmers markets, 60 schools and 85 food pantries from Coos to
Strafford to Cheshire counties and more. Thats a 10-million-dollar savings in health and 50,000 lives
touched.

T: EFNEP, our second educational approach, is similar to SNAP Ed, but is presented in a series of classes.
These series have been shown through EFNEPs long evaluation and reporting history (since 1969!) to
decrease instances of food insecurity. These classes work.

Nationally, the EFNEP budget is 68 million dollars, only .05% of that goes to NH.
We cant afford to lose any more. None-the-less, we make this allotment work! This year, EFNEP
reached over 2,000 children in 53 schools and youth organizations, and 250 adults through direct
education. After complete our program 45% of adults enrolled in the program ran out of food less often,
almost 75% of adults and kids in grades 3-6 are eating vegetables most days of the week, and 1 in 4 of
the youngest kids improved their knowledge of vegetables. 60% of are high schoolers are active for an
hour most days of the week

These numbers are significant because they are stats that would otherwise not exist without these
nutrition education. But we should also keep in mind are the ripple effects of these programs

STORY
T: One beautiful example of this was told to me by a colleague of ours, Christine Parshall, the UNH
Extension Program director in Keene. A 17 year old girl, who well call Amy came to a SNAP Ed class in
Cheshire county, she already had fatty liver. Fatty liver is generally an adult disease due obesity,
diabetes, and excess alcohol consumption, but we are seeing it much more in children now because of
the childhood obesity epidemic. So were at the point where were talking about kids with adult diseases
-- this is the magnitude of the problem.

Amy came to slow cooker classes, put on in collaboration with the Healthy Starts Program, with her
pregnant sister in law, Tracy. Tracy was the one enrolled in the class, until the director talked with Amy
and insisted that she be included in the class and get all the benefits of it-- which in this case included
getting a slow cooker as well as ingredients to make the recipes at home.
 Amy lived with her sister in law, Tracy and Amys brother, Tim and the living situation was not ideal. It
was very difficult for them to come to classes. There were many financial, transportation, and time
management issues, but despite challenges, Amy and Tracy continued to come to the classes because
they were seeing that what they were learning was improving their knowledge and they knew that they
were going to have the resources to be able to continue this at home afterwards.

After completion of the 5 week class, Amy was using the slow cooker often, and eating meals similar to
the healthy ones presented in class. The family was cooking with and for each other, improving their
family bonds. Tim even started going to another class on grocery store shopping. Mom had a healthy
baby and was more prepared to teach her good feeding practices, they were all doing well at follow up.

S: these are the Success stories we've been talking about. And like we said before, these programs have
a ripple effect. Not only did this program reach Tracy but it also reached her sister in law, her husband,
their child--that is what prevention is all about. That is what these programs aim to do--and that is how
we nurture a generation that doesnt see obesity-related fatty liver disease in their children. But the
funds for these programs are at risk of being cut.

New Hampshire residents cannot afford to lose such a valuable resource.

THE ASK
S:which is why we're asking you, when the time comes, to reauthorize and fully fund snap ed and efnep
in the farm bill. Providing nutrition education to our families means a stronger community and
workforce. For our seniors it means greater independence and less reliance on costly long-term care
facilities. This solution is a no-brainer for ensuring the health of your constituents and the rest of the
country.

T: Thank you so much for your time and your continuous support with other health care policies.
We look forward to seeing your vote in action next fall. I do have one request For you now Before we
leave may we get a picture with you and do I have your permission to share this on Twitter and other
social media outlets?