Real Healthy Lunch or Just More Pork Profits?

You know what I was NOT thinking about recently? That school lunch should have more corn, pork and salt and less whole grains. Bet you weren’t either.

A postcard I have had on my wall for years by Artemio Rodríquez @ 2003. You can find his work at @artemiorod on instagram

But apparently our law makers have been. In the middle of the nine ring circus that is our state and national government, a new bill now on the Senate floor will require the state to ask for an exemption from federal school lunch standards so that Iowa schools can set their own rules. Then, in the words of Senate File (bill) 525:

If the waiver…is granted, the department of education shall adopt updated guidelines for what constitutes a nutritionally adequate meal. The department shall consult with the department of agriculture and land stewardship, experts in nutrition, educators, parents, local farmers, and other stakeholders during the process of adopting updated guidelines for what constitutes a nutritionally adequate meal. The guidelines for what constitutes a nutritionally adequate meal may reflect local preferences, regional food sources, including corn, pork, and dairy, and cultural considerations.

One of the guidelines for the new standards is that it must:

“Prioritize the following food groups, in the order listed: animal-based protein, dairy products, vegetables, including but not limited to local and seasonal produce, and fresh fruit or dried or frozen fruit when fresh fruit is not seasonally available.”

Then to top it all off, schools will be required to teach these new standards to kids in classes K-12.

It is laudable to want to improve school lunch, and Lord knows we need better nutrition and agricultural education in the schools. But this bill brings up a host of issues signaling what I believe will be a new trend around the country.

In the past, states have not been allowed to receive waivers from national nutritional standards except for in emergencies. Now the new Secretary of Agriculture indicated in a recent memo that she will now be considering waivers to “support state innovation.”

Yet if Iowa is cut off from national funding for receiving the waiver or if funding for schools drops significantly, schools will likely not be able to afford any school lunch. An Iowa school district nutritionist explained to me that currently Iowa pays two cents a meal for what students receive, while the federal government subsidies more than $4 a meal (at its highest rates).

Photo by Jay Wennington on Unsplash

Like with the firing of countless government employees who service the public, the Trump Administration’s drive to deregulate and cut funding is in direct opposition to other stated goals, such as USDA’s aim to “strengthen strategies to encourage healthy choices, healthy outcomes, and healthy families.”

Healthy choices are often not the cheapest or most “efficient” option. And it is hard to keep watch over what is being offered in the first place if you have no one keeping watch.

Corporations clearly see the window of opportunity on the horizon. SF 525 in Iowa—and I am sure bills like it around the nation— are only backed by the Corn and Pork Producers and the Cattlemen’s Association. A lack of funding and regulation coupled with corporate interest means we end up with things like “nutritional standards” based on what is best for the pork industry, not our children.

Yet if the goal is to actually ensure healthier school lunches and help Iowa’s farmers–while building resilience and our national food security–schools need funding, not new guidelines. Iowa already has quality programs in place to support the growing of fresh local foods.

Fellow farmers farmer Jason Grimm of Grimm Family Farm explained:

"Personally, as a farmer who raises potatoes and dry beans sold to Williamsburg and other school districts, this bill is a slap in the face, telling me that my farm isn't as important as the big commodity groups. We have over 300 farms across Iowa that are producing vegetables, fruits, food grade grains, etc. Many of these farms are members of the Iowa Specialty Crops Association, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Iowa Organic Association, and other groups. We would be happy to give input to the legislature as to how to support local food in Iowa."

Programs like Local Food for Schools (USDA LFS) and Choose Iowa Purchasing Pilot Program fund schools wishing to purchase from local and regional farms. Between 2022 AND 2024, 169 Schools purchased over $2.1 million from 189 Iowa farms and small businesses through the Local Food for Schools program. Those purchases were facilitated by food hubs around the state, providing the critical storage and delivery infrastructure for that supply chain. The Choose Iowa Procurement Program has also been a huge success, but only $70,000 is allocated for the program in 2025..

We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Iowa legislators, farmers, and organizations have been working on effective farm to school programs for decades, helping small farms gain market share and providing more nutritious food to children.

Instead of passing bills to boost corporate profits, we can build upon the existing programs already piloted in our state to create stronger connections between students and the farmers who feed us.

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1. We are holding a party for paid subscribers at the farm June 29th with an exciting special guest. Be sure to save the date—details coming soon.

2. The Iowa Food System Coalition will be launching a new PODCAST hosted by yours truly, beginning…Monday March 10th! Look for it in your inbox this week—I will be posting episodes here.

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