Bill Text: NJ A285 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Establishes "New Farmers Improvement Grant Program" to provide matching grants for farm improvements to beginning farmers.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 7-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-10-13 - Reported and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee [A285 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2022-A285-Amended.html

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[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 285

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

220th LEGISLATURE

 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  BRANDON UMBA

District 8 (Atlantic, Burlington and Camden)

Assemblywoman  CLAIRE S. SWIFT

District 2 (Atlantic)

Assemblyman  JOE DANIELSEN

District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Sawyer, Assemblymen Sauickie and Space

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Establishes "New Farmers Improvement Grant Program" to provide matching grants for farm improvements to beginning farmers.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly Agriculture and Food Security Committee on September 22, 2022, with amendments.

  

An Act concerning grants to beginning farmers for farm improvements and supplementing Title ¹[4] 34¹ of the Revised Statutes.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    As used in this act:

     ¹"Authority" means the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1974, c.80 (C.34:1B-4).¹

     "Beginning farmer" means a person who ¹[desires] wishes¹ to engage in farming and has never farmed before, who has engaged in farming in the State for 10 years or less as of the effective date of this act, or who qualifies as a first-time farmer pursuant to 26 U.S.C. s.147(c)(2).

     ¹["Department" means the Department of Agriculture.]¹

     "Farming" means the cultivation of land for the production of agricultural crops, the raising of poultry, the production of eggs, the production of milk, the production of fruit or other horticultural crops, grazing, the production of livestock, aquaculture, hydroponics, the production of forest products, or other activities designated by the ¹[department] Department of Agriculture,¹ pursuant to rules and regulations.

 

     2.    a.  ¹[There is established in the Department of Agriculture the] The authority shall establish and implement a¹ "New Farmers Improvement Grant Program," to provide matching grants¹,¹ for farm improvements¹,¹ to beginning farmers ¹who are¹ investing in ¹the¹ diversification of their farming operations and ¹the development and institution of¹ innovations for the sustainability of those operations.  The ¹[department] authority¹ shall ¹be authorized to¹ award grants of between $15,000 and $50,000, ¹[for] under the program, in order to match¹ up to 50 percent of ¹the¹ total ¹[project]¹ costs ¹required for each farm improvement project¹.  The ¹[department] authority¹ shall award matching grants to eligible ¹beginning¹ farmers only for ¹farm improvement¹ projects that:

     (1)    expand or diversify agricultural or horticultural production on the farm or extend its growing or production season;

     (2)    implement innovative agricultural or horticultural techniques that increase the use of sustainable practices¹,¹ such as organic farming, ¹or that enhance¹ food safety, ¹[reduction of] reduce¹ farm waste, or ¹facilitate enhanced¹ water conservation; or

     (3)    create or expand partnerships with other farms, regional food hubs, or agriculture-dependent institutions and entities ¹in order¹ to improve ¹or facilitate¹ the processing, ¹[selling, and distributing] sale, or distribution¹ of agricultural or horticultural products.

     b.    Eligible costs to be funded by a matching grant under the program shall include the ¹[purchase] costs¹ of ¹purchasing¹ new or used machinery, equipment, or supplies, or the ¹[construction] costs¹ of ¹constructing or modifying¹ buildings and physical structures to be used exclusively for agricultural or horticultural purposes, and any other costs established as eligible costs pursuant to rules and regulations adopted pursuant to subsection e. of this section.

     c.     A ¹[farmer] person¹ shall be eligible for a matching grant ¹under the program¹, and may apply ¹for such matching grant,¹ in the form and manner prescribed by the ¹[department] authority¹, if:

     (1)    the ¹[farmer] person¹ is 18 years of age or older and is a beginning farmer¹[;

     (2)    the beginning farmer] who¹ materially and substantially participates in ¹the¹ day-to-day production of agricultural or horticultural products raised on the farm, as determined by the ¹[department] authority¹;

     ¹[(3)] (2)¹  the farm is 150 acres or less and ¹is¹ located wholly within the State; and

     ¹[(4)] (3)¹  the ¹person's¹ farming operation has a minimum of $10,000 in gross sales in the preceding calendar year from agricultural or horticultural products grown or derived from the ¹[applicant's farm] farming¹ operation¹,¹ as reflected in ¹[either] the person's¹ personal or business federal tax return forms.

     d.    The ¹[Department of Agriculture] authority¹ shall ¹annually¹ request ¹[annually],¹ as part of its annual budget proposal¹,¹ a minimum of $100,000 to fund the grants authorized pursuant to this section.  The ¹[department] authority¹ shall also pursue and develop ¹other available sources of federal, State, local, and private funding¹, ¹in consultation and coordination¹ with the ¹Department of Agriculture, the¹ Department of Environmental Protection, the United States Department of Agriculture, ¹the United States Environmental Protection Agency,¹ and any other applicable State or federal agency, ¹[any available federal, State, local, and private funding]¹ for the ¹purposes of financing the¹ grants authorized pursuant to this section.

     e.     The ¹[Department of Agriculture] authority¹ shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations necessary to implement this ¹[act] section¹, including, but not limited to, ¹rules and regulations¹ establishing ¹[other costs as]¹ eligible costs¹,¹ in addition to those established in ¹[section] subsection¹ b. of this section¹,¹ and ¹identifying¹ the manner in which a beginning farmer shall provide the ¹[required 50 percent] requisite financial¹ match¹, of up to 50 percent of total project costs, as necessary¹ for a grant ¹award pursuant to this section¹.

 

     3.    This act shall take effect immediately.