HB 344 -- Farm-to-Table Advisory Board

Sponsor:  Guernsey

This bill establishes the Farm-to-Table Advisory Board with at
least one representative from the University of Missouri
Extension Service; the departments of Agriculture, Elementary and
Secondary Education, Health and Senior Services, Economic
Development, Corrections, and Mental Health; and the Office of
Administration.  The representative from the Department of
Agriculture will serve as chair of the board and will coordinate
meetings.  The board must hold at least two meetings but may hold
more if necessary to fulfill its requirements.

The mission of the board is to provide recommendations for
strategies that allow schools and state institutions to more
easily incorporate locally grown agricultural products into their
cafeteria offerings, salad bars, and vending machines and that
increase public awareness of local agricultural practices and the
role that local agriculture plays in sustaining healthy
communities and supporting healthy lifestyles.

The board must:

(1)  Investigate the status and availability of local, state,
federal, and any other resources that may be used to link schools
and other public institutions with local and regional farms for
the purchase of locally grown products, increase market
opportunities for locally grown products, and assist schools and
other entities with education campaigns that teach children and
the public about the concepts of food production and consumption;
the interrelationships between nutrition, food choices, obesity,
and health; and the value of an accessible supply of locally
grown food;

(2)  Identify any type of barrier that prevents or hinders
schools and state institutions from purchasing more locally grown
products, the expansion of market opportunities for locally grown
products, or schools and other entities from engaging in the
educational campaigns;

(3)  Develop recommendations for the maximization of existing
resources and the development of necessary new or expanded
resources to accomplish its objectives and the removal of
barriers that hinder these objectives; and

(4)  Submit a report with its findings and recommendations to the
Governor, General Assembly, and the director of each agency
represented on the board by January 15, 2012.

These provisions will expire January 15, 2012.

Missouri House of Representatives
96th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated August 9, 2011 at 1:19 pm