HF 811

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 04/04/2019 09:26am

A bill for an act
relating to agriculture; establishing a farm-to-school program; appropriating money;
proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 17.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [17.1019] FARM-TO-SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT,
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TRAINING, AND GRANT PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have
the meanings given.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of agriculture.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Eligible recipient" means a public or private elementary or secondary school, a
school district, or a child care provider that participates in one or more federal child nutrition
programs.
new text end

new text begin (d) "Federal child nutrition programs" means the:
new text end

new text begin (1) national school lunch program;
new text end

new text begin (2) school breakfast program;
new text end

new text begin (3) child and adult care food program;
new text end

new text begin (4) fresh fruit and vegetable program; and
new text end

new text begin (5) summer food service program.
new text end

new text begin (e) "Minnesota grown" means 80 percent or more of the food product was produced and
processed in Minnesota.
new text end

new text begin (f) "Unprocessed or minimally processed food" means an agricultural product that retains
its inherent character. For purposes of this section, the following food handling and
preservation techniques do not modify an agricultural product's inherent character: cooling;
refrigerating; freezing; modifying size by peeling, slicing, dicing, cutting, chopping, shucking,
or grinding; forming ground products into patties without the addition of additives or fillers;
drying or dehydration; washing; packaging, vacuum packing, and bagging; adding ascorbic
acid or other preservatives to produce to prevent oxidation; butchering livestock and poultry;
cleaning fish; or producing yogurt or cheese from milk.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin The farm-to-school administrative support, technical assistance,
training, and grant program is established to facilitate and increase procurement of Minnesota
grown unprocessed and minimally processed food by eligible recipients in order to increase
Minnesota children's access to healthy, fresh, locally produced food and to support the
farmers and processors who sell their products to eligible recipients.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Grants; limitations. new text end

new text begin (a) Within the limits of available funding, the commissioner
must reimburse a participating eligible recipient for the documented cost of Minnesota
grown unprocessed or minimally processed food purchased.
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner must not reimburse an eligible recipient for:
new text end

new text begin (1) transportation, packaging, or other ancillary costs incurred to acquire the food; or
new text end

new text begin (2) costs for which the eligible recipient has received, or will receive, reimbursement
through another local, state, federal, or private program.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Reimbursement rate; process. new text end

new text begin Each grant cycle, the commissioner must
require interested eligible applicants to declare their intent to participate in the program and
provide any information required by the commissioner. The commissioner of education
must provide to the commissioner available data on the number of meals served by eligible
applicants under federal child nutrition programs. The commissioner must use this
information to calculate the rate of reimbursement, on a per-meal basis, for each participating
eligible applicant given available program funding. If the rate is less than four cents per
meal, the commissioner must eliminate eligible applicants as necessary to increase the rate
for remaining eligible applicants to at least four cents per meal, giving preference to
applicants that:
new text end

new text begin (1) serve a high percentage of free and reduced-price meals;
new text end

new text begin (2) demonstrate capacity to purchase from socially disadvantaged, small, or midsized
producers; and
new text end

new text begin (3) collectively represent a diversity of sizes and geographic locations throughout the
state.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Application; documentation. new text end

new text begin An eligible recipient must submit an application
to the commissioner in the form required by the commissioner. An eligible recipient must
satisfy all food documentation or tracking requirements required by the commissioner to
ensure that grant awards are used by an eligible recipient only as reimbursement for eligible
food or eligible educational activities.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Eligible uses. new text end

new text begin (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), an eligible recipient
must use grant funds received under this section to reimburse the eligible recipient's
documented purchases of Minnesota grown unprocessed or minimally processed food, not
including fluid milk, agricultural commodities, or yogurt containing artificial sweetener or
more than eight ingredients.
new text end

new text begin (b) An eligible recipient may use up to 20 percent of grant funds received under this
section to support educational activities that directly connect children and their families
with agriculture and food including but not limited to school gardens, classroom-based
gardening or cooking projects, tasting tables, field trips to farms, chef visits or training, and
family and consumer science and agriculture education related to local foods.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2020 and $2,000,000 in fiscal year 2021 are appropriated from
the general fund to the commissioner of agriculture for purposes of the farm-to-school
administrative support, technical assistance, training, and grant program established in this
act. Of the appropriation each year, the commissioner must use:
new text end

new text begin (1) $150,000 to establish a farm-to-school coordinator position; and
new text end

new text begin (2) four percent of the total appropriation to administer the grant program and, in
consultation with relevant stakeholders, provide outreach, grant-writing assistance,
administrative support, technical assistance, and training to agricultural producers and
eligible recipients. Outreach and support to agricultural producers must target beginning,
specialty crop, small, and midsized farmers and other farmers with demonstrated need and
may include but is not limited to education and outreach on business planning and
development, institutional food procurement standards and requirements, postharvest
handling practices including the development of food safety and good agricultural practices,
plans, and food production processes.
new text end