HB 1080 -- Sustainable Agriculture and Local Foods Initiative

Sponsor:  Munzlinger

This bill establishes the Sustainable Agriculture and Local Foods
Initiative to increase access to locally grown agricultural food
products.  In its main provisions, the bill:

(1)  Establishes the Office of Sustainable Agriculture and Local
Foods within the Department of Agriculture to improve the climate
for agricultural products that are processed or produced by small
farmers and businesses and to promote a sustainable Missouri food
system;

(2)  Requires the office to provide technical and financial
assistance to small farmers and businesses for the branding,
marketing, and distribution of sustainable, natural, and organic
Missouri agricultural products;

(3)  Establishes the Missouri Farm-to-Cafeteria Program, the
Beginning Farmer Program, the Missouri-Branded Program, and the
New Markets Program to be administered by the office;

(4)  Specifies that the office will administer up to $2 million
in tax credits for the acquisition of best management practice
technology by small farmers and businesses;

(5)  Requires the Department of Agriculture, in collaboration
with the departments of Elementary and Secondary Education and
Health and Senior Services, to establish the Farm Fresh Schools
Program to reduce obesity, improve nutrition and public health,
strengthen local agricultural economies by increasing access to
and promoting the consumption of locally grown fruits and
vegetables in schools, and increase physical activities and
programs that promote pupil wellness;

(6)  Specifies the activities, promotions, and educational
training agendas to be administered by the office;

(7)  Creates the Farm Fresh Schools Fund consisting of moneys
appropriated for the program and all other moneys donated to the
fund;

(8)  Specifies that the Beginning Farmer Program will connect
aging farmers and ranchers with young people interested in
agriculture and requires the program to utilize at least $500,000
authorized for agriculture linked deposits to fund micro
agricultural enterprises;

(9)  Specifies that the Missouri-Branded Program will assist
small farmers and businesses in marketing, production, and
distribution of locally grown and processed agricultural
products; and

(10)  Specifies that the New Markets Program will establish 10
new farmer's markets each year for 10 years in which small
farmers and businesses will compose the majority of the vendors.

The provisions regarding the Farm Fresh Schools Program, the
Beginning Farmer Program, the Missouri-Branded Program, and the
New Markets Program will expire six years from the effective
date.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated November 17, 2009 at 9:26 am