Title
To celebrate National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month and to recognize the Greater Columbus Growing Coalition and community gardens for the impact that they have with helping the residents of Columbus and Franklin County consume the recommended number of servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day.
Body
WHEREAS, June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, an opportunity to bring awareness to the health benefits of consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables; and,
WHEREAS, less than 25% of the adults in Franklin County report consuming the recommended 5 or more servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day; and
WHEREAS, the USDA recommends that people fill half of their plates with fruits and vegetables for each meal -meeting the recommended 5 to 9 servings each day; and,
WHEREAS, increasing fruit and vegetable intake each day can help individuals to maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of heart disease, decrease high blood pressure and also lower the risk of a number of cancers; and,
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council adopted the Columbus & Franklin County Local Food Action Plan in November of 2016 - demonstrating the City’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that each resident have improved access to healthy food, affordable food, and local food, as well as increase the education and resources regarding healthy food; and,
WHEREAS, Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio are home to more than 250 community gardens, 25 farmers markets, 388 farms, 15 urban farms, and many food-related businesses, plus numerous community organizations that address issues related to food production and nutrition for the residents of the City of Columbus and Franklin County; and,
WHEREAS, Community gardens like those that belong to the Greater Columbus Growing Coalition improve education in addition to providing increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables to the residents of Columbus and Franklin County - ultimately helping more people to achieve the 5 or more recommended servings per day; now, therefore;
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby recognize June as National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month and congratulate the Greater Columbus Growing Coalition on their efforts to support the growing, processing, transportation, and distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables in our community