“To amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to reauthorize the farmers' markets and local food promotion program.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section revises the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (7 U.S.C. 1627c), which provides competitive grants to support farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, agritourism activities, and other local and regional food projects (i.e., to increase access to and sales of locally and regionally produced agricultural products), as follows: (1) requires grant recipients to provide matching funds equal to 25% of the federal portion (cash or in-kind), except for priority grants to beginning farmers or ranchers and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers; (2) increases annual funding to $100 million (from $50 million) for FY2019 through FY2026, with $50 million for FY2027 and each fiscal year thereafter; (3) reserves 30% of funds for priority grants to entities without a grant in the prior three years that will establish a new farmers market (with unneeded reserved funds available for other grants under the subsection); and (4) directs the Secretary of Agriculture and the Department's Inspector General, not later than three years after enactment, to issue public reports on grant applications, awards, and priority grant qualifications (Secretary) and on fraud, abuse, and matching fund effects (Inspector General).