Support School Gardens – Contact Your Representative

On August 4, 2009, an amendment introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders of
Vermont to provide 2 million dollars to fund a “school community garden
pilot program” was unanimously approved as part of the Senate Ag
Appropriations Bill, which passed the Senate on the same date.

Gardens are powerful educational tools, providing opportunities for children to experience the natural world as they develop strong academic skills and positive attitudes toward fresh fruits and vegetables, and learn important sociological skills that enhance the quality of their lives. Says one teacher from the Arnold Schwarzenegger Charter Elementary School in California, “Children demonstrated a better understanding of concepts and applied them in more sophisticated ways after having instruction in the garden.”

The Sanders amendment funding the program will now go through the conference committee process with the House of Representatives.

I encourage you to contact your representatives in Washington to urge them to keep the funding for the program in the final Agriculture Appropriations bill.

Please click here to send a letter in support of the funding.

As you contact Congress about the bill, I recommend focusing on members of the conference committee, who are listed below. These are the members who will have the most sway over whether the funding is ultimately kept in the bill, and we anticipate that they will make their decision by the end of the September 2009. Thank you again for all of your help!

Sen. Kohl (D-WI)
330 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Sen. Pryor (D-AR)
255 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Rep. Farr (D-CA)
1126 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Sen. Brownback (R-KS)
303 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Sen. Specter (D-PA)
711 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Rep. Boyd (D-FL)
1227 Longworth House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Sen. Inouye (D-HI)
722 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Sen. Bennett (R-UT)
702 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Rep. Bishop (D-GA)
2429 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Sen. Cochran (R-MS)
113 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Sen. Bond (R-MO)
274 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Rep. Davis (D-TN)
410 Cannon House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Sen. Harkin (D-IA)
731 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Sen. McConnell (R-KY)
361A Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Rep. Kaptur (D-OH)
2186 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Sen. Feinstein (D-CA)
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Sen. Collins (R-ME)
413 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Rep. Hinchey (D-NY)
2431 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Sen. Durbin (D-IL)
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Rep. DeLauro (D-CT)
2413 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Rep. Jackson (D-IL)
2419 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Sen. Johnson (D-SD)
136 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Rep. Kingston (R-GA)
2368 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Rep. Latham (R-IA)
2217 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Sen. Nelson (D-NE)
716 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Rep. Obey (D-WI)
2314 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Rep. Emerson (R-MO)
2440 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Sen. Reed (D-RI)
728 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Rep. Lewis (R-CA)
2112 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
Rep. Alexander (R-LA)
316 Cannon House Office Building
Washington DC 20515

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONACT:
Office of Senator Bernard Sanders
332 Senate Dirksen Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-5141

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