When the U.S. Senate considers the updated farm bill later this spring, we hope the provisions championed by U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, remain.

The Senate Agriculture Committee passed the farm bill recently, which contains support for local and organic farms as well as better access for those using food stamps to purchase fresh produce.

All of the provisions in the Senate’s bill were also included in the Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act, introduced by Pingree earlier this year in the U.S. House.

Two of the provisions could be very beneficial to local residents and farmers.

The first would be an improved farmers market promotion program, providing grants for marketing assistance for roadside farm stands and farmers markets, according to a statement from Pingree.

This would help make people more aware of the dates, times and locations of farmers markets, and hopefully, the vendors and produce available. If more people purchase their fruits, vegetables and other food items at such markets, those farms could grow, and be able to hire more employees. Also, people who consume the recommended amount of fresh fruits and vegetables often see increased health benefits.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention support diets with fruits and vegetables, which are important for growing children as well as adults for weight management and chronic disease prevention, according to its website. One of the center’s missions is to support increased access, availability and reduced prices for fruits and vegetables.

The U.S. is suffering from an obesity epidemic, especially in children, and a balanced diet ”“ coupled with exercise ”“ is key to weight loss and maintaining one’s weight.

Fresh fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals and fiber, which may help protect people from chronic diseases. According to the CDC, people who consume generous amounts of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet are likely to have reduced risk of stroke, cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers.

Another part of the farm bill would include a pilot program to allow farmers markets to use smart phones to read EBT cards for consumers who use food stamps. This program would allow easier processing of EBT payments, ensuring people with the benefit can use it at a farmers market.

The bill would also create an organic cost share program, providing funds to help farmers make the shift from conventional to organic farming. With the concern over toxic chemicals in the forefront today, using fewer or no pesticides would likely increase the health benefits to consumers as well as reduce the danger to children being exposed to chemicals in their developing years.

Another farm bill provision would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study the economy of local foods and report back to Congress. This will make it easier to track the economic benefits of local food systems, according to Pingree. It will also let lawmakers know where the programs are lacking and in need of further support.

It is unfortunate, though, as Pingree pointed out, that the bill does not include the farm-to-school programs that were in her proposal.

Farm-to-school programs would be enormously beneficial to farmers and students. The foods provided to schools would be some of the freshest available, and the steady, large orders to be fulfilled for schools would be needed income for Maine’s ”“ and the country’s ”“ farms.

As the Senate and House consider the farm bill, we hope it will pass without controversy, and that lawmakers will look for more ways to increase healthy lifestyles for Americans, especially this country’s young people.

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Today’s editorial was written by City Editor Robyn Burnham on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.