SCS SB 1222 -- FARM MENTORING AND EDUCATION FUND

SPONSOR:  Goodman (Wasson)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on
Agriculture Policy by a vote of 20 to 3.

This substitute creates the Farm Mentoring and Education Fund
which will consist of moneys appropriated from the General
Revenue Fund and any other available moneys.  The moneys will be
used to establish a program to provide educational training to
help individuals plan and begin sustainable and traditional
farming enterprises.  The program will provide selected
participants with a low-cost, first-hand mentoring system by
pairing participants with full-time farmers and individuals
pursuing agricultural commodity enterprises.  The program will be
administered by the farm mentoring and education authority within
the University of Missouri Extension Center and will be located
in a different regional extension center on a yearly rotational
basis.

The General Assembly may appropriate up to $99,000 a year to the
fund to pay various program expenses.  The unexpended fund
balance will revert to the General Revenue Fund at the end of
each fiscal year.

The provisions of the substitute expire August 28, 2009.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Cost on General Revenue Fund of Up to
$99,000 in FY 2007, FY 2008, and FY 2009.  No impact on Other
State Funds in FY 2007, FY 2008, and FY 2009.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill is a logical statewide
application of the highly successful pilot project in West
Plains, Missouri, administered by the University of Missouri
Extension Center.  The program provides beginning farmers with
both practical farming education and good basic business
practices.

Testifying for the bill were Senator Goodman; University of
Missouri, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources;
Central Missouri University; and University of Missouri.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Roland Tackett, Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
93rd General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated November 29, 2006 at 9:47 am