SB 141-FN – AS INTRODUCED
2013 SESSION
08/03
SENATE BILL 141-FN
AN ACT establishing the Granite State farm to plate program.
SPONSORS: Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Rep. Sad, Ches 1; Rep. Spang, Straf 6; Rep. Kaen, Straf 5; Rep. Bixby, Straf 17
COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration
This bill establishes the Granite State farm to plate program.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
13-0927
08/03
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Thirteen
AN ACT establishing the Granite State farm to plate program.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Subdivision; Granite State Farm to Plate Program. Amend RSA 425 by inserting after section 26 the following new subdivision:
Granite State Farm to Plate Program
425:27 Granite State Farm to Plate Advisory Council.
I. There is established the Granite State farm to plate advisory council. Membership shall consist of:
(a) One member of Seacoast Eat Local, appointed by that organization.
(b) One member of the Seacoast Growers Association, appointed by that organization.
(c) One member of the New Hampshire chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, appointed by that organization.
(d) One member of Granite State Grazers, appointed by that organization.
(e) One representative of the university of New Hampshire cooperative extension, appointed by that organization.
(f) One representative of the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station, appointed by that organization.
(g) The dean of the college of life sciences and agriculture at the university of New Hampshire, or designee.
(h) Three farm owners, appointed by the commissioner of the department of agriculture, markets, and food.
II. The Granite State farm to plate advisory council shall assist the commissioner of the department of agriculture, markets, and food in the implementation and oversight of the farm to plate program.
III. Prior to November 1 of each year, the Granite State farm to plate advisory council shall submit a report concerning its activities to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the clerk of the senate, the clerk of the house of representatives, and the chairmen of the senate and the house committees with jurisdiction over agriculture and commerce.
425:28 Granite State Farm to Plate Program.
I. The Granite State farm to plate program is hereby established. The Granite State farm to plate program shall:
(a) Increase economic development in New Hampshire’s food and farm sector;
(b) Promote jobs in the food and farm economy;
(c) Improve access to healthy local foods;
(d) Encourage both private and public investment in New Hampshire agricultural and food production.
(e) Equalize economic development opportunity between New Hampshire’s cities and towns by removing restrictive obstacles and excessive financial burdens to farmers’ market sales in towns and cities.
II. By November 1, 2014, the Granite State farm to plate advisory council shall create a strategic plan for agricultural economic development, which may be periodically reviewed and updated, based upon the following:
(a) Inventory of New Hampshire’s food system infrastructure by gathering existing data, studies, and analysis about the components of New Hampshire’s food system, including:
(1) The types of foods produced in New Hampshire, the number of producers of each type of food, the amount of each type of food produced, and the financial viability of each food-producing sector;
(2) The types of food processors in New Hampshire, how much food produced in New Hampshire is purchased by New Hampshire processors, and the financial viability of the food processing sector in New Hampshire;
(3) The current and potential markets in which New Hampshire’s food producers and processors can sell their products;
(4) The extent of existing agricultural lands that could be expanded and the resources available to expand New Hampshire food production;
(5) The potential for new farmers and food processors to enter the local food economy, the methods for new farmers to acquire land and other farm infrastructure, and the availability of and barriers to farm and processing labor; and
(6) The potential for entirely new local products and the barriers to farmers and processors entering new markets.
(b) Identification of gaps in the infrastructure and distribution systems, and ways to address these gaps.
(c) Utilization of resources available from the university of New Hampshire college of life sciences and agriculture, the New Hampshire agricultural experiment station, and cooperative extension.
III. The Granite State farm to plate advisory council may seek grant funding to support farm-to-table direct marketing, including farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture operations and to support and encourage regional community food hubs.
IV. As an ongoing task, the Granite State farm to plate advisory council shall use the information gathered for the strategic plan to identify methods and the funding necessary to strengthen the links among producers, processors, and markets, including:
(a) Supporting of the work of existing farm-to-school programs to increase the purchase of local foods by New Hampshire schools, with a particular emphasis on procurement of nutrient-dense animal foods.
(b) Collaboration with the New Hampshire department of agriculture, markets, and food and the department of resources and economic development to increase procurement of local foods.
(c) Collaboration with the department of agriculture, markets, and food to increase procurement of local foods by businesses and institutions.
(d) Support of initiatives that improve direct marketing of foods from the farm to the consumer.
(e) Education of agricultural lenders regarding the information collected under this subdivision to facilitate availability of agricultural financing.
(f) Encouragement of sales of on-farm value-added products such as cheese and on-farm direct sales to consumers.
V. The Granite State farm to plate advisory council may:
(a) Seek and accept funds from private and public entities;
(b) Hire or assign staff; and
(c) Utilize technical assistance, loans, grants, or other means approved by the commissioner of the department of agriculture, markets, and food.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
LBAO
13-0927
Revised 02/04/13
SB 141 FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT establishing the Granite State farm to plate program.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food states this bill, as introduced, may increase state expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2013 and each fiscal year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on state, county, and local revenues, or county and local expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food states this bill establishes the Granite State Farm to Plate Advisory Council to assist the commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food in the implementation and oversight of a farm to plate program. The proposed legislation requires the Council to submit an annual report to the governor and the general court and create a strategic plan for agricultural economic development by November 1, 2014. Although the proposed legislation does not appropriate funds or authorize additional positions, it does authorize the Council to seek and accept funds from private or public entities to support its activities and hire or assign staff. The Department notes the Council is composed of members of various citizen based organizations such as Seacoast Eat Local, the Seacoast Growers Association, the Northeast Organic Farming Association, and the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Association complimented by three farm owners and two representatives of the University System of New Hampshire (from the college of life sciences and agriculture and the cooperative extension). The Department states the absence of mileage reimbursement to Council members would adversely impact attendance of Council meetings and thereby limit the Council’s effectiveness in meeting its assigned objectives. The Department estimates the cost of mileage reimbursement for council members to be approximately $6,000 annually.
The Department also notes in order to design and implement an effective program, the Council would also require the assistance of a part time staff person, a program administrator, and adequate funding to carry out the recommended marketing tasks detailed in the proposed legislation. The Department estimates a part time staff person could be contracted at approximately $20,000 per year and estimates the costs associated with a program administrator and the recommended marketing tasks to be approximately $45,000 and $100,000 per year, respectively. In the aggregate, the Department estimates the establishment and administration of an effective farm to plate program would require approximately $171,000 per year ($6,000 mileage + 20,000 part-time staff person + 45,000 program administrator + 100,000 marketing tasks = $171,000).