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USDA Satellite News Feed
October 28, 2004
Contact: USDA-TV (202) 720-7039/720-6445

1. FEATURE – HUGE WETLAND BEING RESTORED IN FLORIDA
INTRO: USDA is partnering with local officials and landowners in Florida to restore a once drained wetland back to its natural state for animals, plants and the public. Bob Ellison has more. (1:35)


2. Repeat without narration (1:35)

3. FEATURE – SCHOOL LUNCH TASTE TESTING IN TEXAS

INTRO: USDA had a school lunch food evaluation at a Texas elementary school in an attempt to get school administrators and children to consider healthier food. Bob Ellison reports. (1:46)

4. Repeat without narration (1:46)

SCRIPTS for features are available by FAX: Use your FAX phone to call 202-690-3677; at prompt press 1, 4, then 9270.

The feed is available Thursdays from 4:15 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET at this satellite address:
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FEATURE – HUGE WETLAND BEING RESTORED IN FLORIDA
Intro: USDA is partnering with local officials and landowners in Florida to restore a once drained wetland back to its natural state for animals, plants and the public. Bob Ellison has more. (1:35)

A FORTY THOUSAND ACRE WETLAND AREA IN FLORIDA IS BEING RESTORED TO ITS NATURAL STATE THROUGH THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE’S WETLAND RESERVE PROGRAM. U-S-D-A’S NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE IS PARTNERING WITH LOCAL OFFICIALS TO RESTORE THE MALLORY SWAMP IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

Charlie Houder, Suwannee River Water Management District: NRCS has been a very strong partner with the district in a lot of areas. Here in Mallory Swamp we’re working with wetland reserve program and that is helping fund a lot of the restoration work that we are doing out here.

PARTS OF THE MALLORY SWAMP WERE DRAINED IN THE PAST AND ONE GOAL OF THE W-R-P IS TO STOP THE FLOW OF WATER THAT IS DRAINING UNNATURALY.

Niles Glasgow, USDA NRCS: One of the big things that you have to do is come in and shut off that drainage so that it’s a natural flow rather than an artificial flow condition. So what we do is come in and shut off the drainage ditches and create that natural flow condition.

U-S-D-A OFFICIALS SAY RESTORING AREAS LIKE MALLORY SWAMP TO WETLANDS HELPS PROTECT THE NATION’S HERITAGE AS WELL AS ENDANGERED SPECIES AND THE ECOSYSTEM.

Mack Gray, USDA, Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment: It’s a more, I guess you’d use the term, esoteric reason, but it’s also important that we maintain our heritage of keeping some of the land in the form that it was in when we first came in to it.

CURRENTLY OVER ONE MILLION ACRES ARE ENROLLED NATIONALLY IN THE W-R-P, WHICH WAS REAUTHORIZED IN THE TWO THOUSAND TWO FARM BILL. I’M BOB ELLISON REPORTING....FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

FEATURE – SCHOOL LUNCH TASTE TESTING IN TEXAS

INTRO: USDA had a school lunch food evaluation at a Texas elementary school in an attempt to get school administrators and children to consider healthier food. Bob Ellison reports. (1:46)

THESE FOURTH GRADERS AT MEADOWBROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN FORTH WORTH, TEXAS, HELPED EVALUATE SOME POSSIBLE ADDITIONS TO THE SCHOOL LUNCH MENU. U-S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE OFFICIALS GAVE STUDENTS BLUEBERRY HAMBURGERS, PLUM PUREE NUGGET SAUCE AND SWEET POTATO PANCAKES, AMONG OTHER FOODS, TO TASTE TEST.

Eric Forman, USDA AMS Associate Deputy Administrator: The children were not told beforehand what were the ingredients before them and it’s quite obvious in the general sense, but they didn’t know what was in them. And if you told the child or an adult that these were blueberry hamburgers that they might not care for it or might even choose to taste it. But when they are exposed to it and then find that’s it’s really quite acceptable and wow that has blueberry in it? I never would have thought.

GOALS OF THE U-S-D-A NUTRITION EDUCATION/FOOD EVALUATION PROGRAM INCLUDE GIVING STUDENTS, PARENTS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS INFORMATION ON HEALTHIER EATING AND INCREASING SERVINGS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

Forman: The hamburgers have lower fat; the various foods here have less sugar. They have no sugar added. They are nutritionally robust and it’s to encourage children to eat those fruits and vegetables as a way of having a balanced diet to combat obesity.

ANOTHER GOAL OF THE TASTE TESTING WAS TO INTEREST CHILDREN IN FOOD THEY NORMALLY WOULD NOT CONSIDER EATING.

Forman: The children learned not to have preconceived notions about foods. Foods that might at first sound, when first described to them, as odd, perhaps unappealing, could be a lot of fun, could really be good and enjoyable to eat.

USDA SUPPLIES AROUND EIGHTEEN PERCENT OF THE FOOD SERVED IN SCHOOL LUNCHES. I’M BOB ELLISON REPORTING, FOR THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.


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