I 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4012 

To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 to establish 

a community-supported agriculture promotion program. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 9, 2012 

Mr. WELCH (for himself, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Ms. PINGREE of Maine) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To amend the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 

to establish a community-supported agriculture promotion program. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Community-Supported 

5 Agriculture Promotion Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE PRO2 MOTION PROGRAM. 

3 Subtitle A of title X of the Food, Conservation, and 

4 Energy Act of 2008 (122 Stat. 2097; Public Law 110– 

5 246) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 10110. COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE PRO7 MOTION PROGRAM. 

8 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 ‘‘(1) CSA.—The term ‘CSA’ means a farm op10 erated in a manner consistent with community-sup11 ported agriculture, as defined by the Secretary. 

12 ‘‘(2) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The term 

13 ‘nonprofit organization’ means an organization, 

14 group, institute, or institution that qualifies as an 

15 organization described in section 501(c) of the Inter16 nal Revenue Code of 1986, and is exempt from tax17 ation under section 501(a) of that Code. 

18 ‘‘(3) PROGRAM.—The term ‘Program’ means 

19 the Community-Supported Agriculture Promotion 

20 Program established under subsection (b). 

21 ‘‘(4) UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.—The term 

22 ‘underserved community’ means a community (in23 cluding an urban or rural community or an Indian 

24 tribe) that, as determined by the Secretary, has— 

25 ‘‘(A) limited access to affordable, healthy 

26 foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables; 


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1 ‘‘(B) a high incidence of a diet-related dis2 ease (including obesity) as compared to the na3 tional average; 

4 ‘‘(C) a high rate of hunger or food insecu5 rity; or 

6 ‘‘(D) severe or persistent poverty. 

7 ‘‘(b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall carry 

8 out a program, to be known as the ‘Community-Supported 

9 Agriculture Promotion Program’, to promote community10 supported agriculture. 

11 ‘‘(c) PROGRAM PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Pro12 gram are— 

13 ‘‘(1) to assist in the improvement or expansion 

14 of existing CSAs; 

15 ‘‘(2) to assist in the development of new CSAs; 

16 ‘‘(3) to enhance the economic viability of agri17 cultural producers; 

18 ‘‘(4) to enhance the relationship between con19 sumers and agricultural producers; 

20 ‘‘(5) to encourage outreach and education ac21 tivities that develop consumer interest in CSA par22 ticipation; 

23 ‘‘(6) to assist in the development, improvement, 

24 or expansion of innovative delivery and distribution 


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1 programs that stimulate consumer interest in CSA 

2 participation; and 

3 ‘‘(7) to assist in the development, improvement, 

4 and expansion of multifarm CSAs that— 

5 ‘‘(A) allow agricultural producers to con6 centrate on the production of a few crops or the 

7 development of value-added products; and 

8 ‘‘(B) stimulate consumer interest in CSA 

9 participation by offering an increased variety of 

10 products. 

11 ‘‘(d) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—An entity shall be eligible 

12 to receive a grant under the Program if the entity is— 

13 ‘‘(1) a nonprofit organization; 

14 ‘‘(2) an extension service program operated 

15 through an institution of higher education (as de16 fined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 

17 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)); 

18 ‘‘(3) an agricultural producer; 

19 ‘‘(4) a State or local government; 

20 ‘‘(5) a public benefit corporation; or 

21 ‘‘(6) such other entity as the Secretary may 

22 designate. 

23 ‘‘(e) CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab2 lish criteria to evaluate and rank proposed projects 

3 under the Program. 

4 ‘‘(2) PREFERENCE.—In developing the criteria, 

5 the Secretary shall emphasize support for— 

6 ‘‘(A) public entities and nonprofit organi7 zations that propose in an application to pro8 vide substantial financial and technical assist9 ance directly to CSAs from individual- or fam10 ily-operated farms; 

11 ‘‘(B) CSAs from individually operated or 

12 family-operated farms; 

13 ‘‘(C) the expansion of CSAs into under14 served communities; 

15 ‘‘(D) CSAs operated by or employing vet16 erans (as defined in section 101 of title 38, 

17 United States Code); and 

18 ‘‘(E) the development, improvement, or ex19 pansion of innovative delivery and distribution 

20 programs that stimulate consumer interest in 

21 CSA participation. 

22 ‘‘(f) FUNDING.— 

23 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Of the funds of the Com24 modity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall use 

25 to carry out this section— 


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1 ‘‘(A) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2012; 

2 ‘‘(B) $12,000,000 for each of fiscal years 

3 2013 through 2015; and 

4 ‘‘(C) $15,000,000 for each fiscal years 

5 2016 through 2018. 

6 ‘‘(2) INTERDEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION.— 

7 In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall 

8 ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, coordi9 nation between the applicable agencies.’’. 

Æ 


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