Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health 35 West 4th Street, 10th Floor New York, NY 10012-1172 April 1, 2004 To Senator LaValle and Assemblyman Ortiz, I am writing to support Resolution J3971, which includes requests that local school districts provide optional vegetarian school entrees and nutrition education materials and instruction, eliminate junk foods, and initiate farm-to-school programs. I am Professor and former Chair of the New York University Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health. Before coming to NYU, I was senior nutrition policy advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services (1986 ­ 88); managing editor of the 1988 Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health; member of the FDA Food Advisory Committee and Science Board, the USDA/DHHS 1995 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, and American Cancer Society committees that issue dietary guidelines for cancer prevention. I am also author of Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health (2002) and Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism (2003), both from University of California Press. My research focuses on nutrition education of the public and food and nutrition policy. I am pleased that this resolution addresses the need to introduce healthier food options for children and bring school meals more into line with the USDA Dietary Guidelines. I am especially pleased with the proposal for a farm-to-school program. I am convinced that teaching children about where food comes from, and giving them practical experience with food, will help them appreciate the value of local farm products and will ultimately improve their health. If there is anything I can do to further support this Resolution, I will be happy to. Sincerely yours, Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH