Putting those two goals together is the idea behind House Bill 2800, which expands Oregon’s Farm-To-School program.

The bill adds another $22 million into the pot of money schools can spend on lunch programs. That comes to about 15 cents a meal more for lunches, 7 cents more for a breakfast.

But schools that get the money have to spend it on food that’s either grown, or processed, in Oregon.

The argument in favor of H.B. 2800 is primarily one about economics.

The group EcoTrust tested a “beta” version of the bill during a pilot program last fall. Using a $66,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente, it gave the money to the school lunch programs in Portland and Gervais. Just like H.B. 2800, the schools had to spend it on Oregon grown and processed foods.

During the 14-week test run, that $66,000 generated almost $226,000 in spending on local foods. EcoTrust’s computer analysis concludes on top of that, every lunch dollar spent locally increased overall economic activity by another 87 cents.

EcoTrust’s Deborah Kane says it can be tough to convince lawmakers to spend more during a recession. But because the money is invested in the local economy, she thinks the bill is “Great for kids and great for Oregon Ag.”

School lunch budgets are already tight. The federal government provides about $2.35 per meal, and only $1.10 of that gets spent on food. “When was the last time you bought lunch for $1.10?” she asks. Oregon is one of a few states that doesn’t spend additional money on school lunches. She says Farm-To-Schools programs are known to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in school lunches, which can help fight Oregon’s epidemic of obesity.

Evann Remington of Organic Fresh Fingers in Salem told us she’s behind the bill because she wants to help build a more sustainable model of agriculture right here in Oregon. She believes a local system is better for the planet because it reduces the pollution created by transporting food long distances, and helps build a relationship between farmers and their customers.