I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2364 

To promote expanded economic opportunities for farmers and ranchers 

through local and regional markets, expand access to healthy food in 

underserved communities, provide access to locally and regionally grown 

food for schools, institutions, and consumers, and strengthen rural-urban 

linkages, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 17, 2007 

Mr. BLUMENAUER (for himself, Mrs. BOYDA of Kansas, Mr. KAGEN, Mrs. 

GILLIBRAND, Mr. RUSH, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, and Mr. 

ALLEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Education 

and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To promote expanded economic opportunities for farmers 

and ranchers through local and regional markets, expand 

access to healthy food in underserved communities, provide access to locally and regionally grown food for 

schools, institutions, and consumers, and strengthen 

rural-urban linkages, and for other purposes. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

2 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

3 ‘‘Local Food and Farm Support Act’’ 

4 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.— 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Grants to support value-added agricultural products. 

Sec. 3. Healthy food enterprise development program. 

Sec. 4. Direct farmer to consumer marketing assistance program. 

Sec. 5. WIC farmer’s market nutrition program. 

Sec. 6. Senior farmers’ market nutrition program. 

Sec. 7. Community food project competitive grants. 

Sec. 8. Authorization level for farm-to-cafeteria activities. 

Sec. 9. Purchases of locally produced foods. 

Sec. 10. School preference study. 

Sec. 11. Food stamp fruit and vegetable incentive program. 

Sec. 12. Independent evaluation of Department of Agriculture commodity purchase process. 

Sec. 13. Urban agriculture production program. 

5 SEC. 2. GRANTS TO SUPPORT VALUE-ADDED AGRICUL6 TURAL PRODUCTS. 

7 The Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000 (7 

8 U.S.C. 1621 note; Public Law 106–224) is amended by 

9 striking section 231 and inserting the following new sec10 tions: 

11 ‘‘SEC. 231. GRANTS TO SUPPORT VALUE-ADDED AGRICUL12 TURAL PRODUCTS. 

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

14 ‘‘(1) VALUE-ADDED AGRICULTURAL PROD15 UCT.— 

16 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘value-added 

17 agricultural product’ means any agricultural 

18 commodity or product that— 


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1 ‘‘(i)(I) has undergone a change in 

2 physical state; 

3 ‘‘(II) was produced in a manner that 

4 enhances the value of the agricultural com5 modity or product, as demonstrated 

6 through a business plan that shows the en7 hanced value, as determined by the Sec8 retary; or 

9 ‘‘(III) is physically segregated in a 

10 manner that results in the enhancement of 

11 the value of the agricultural commodity or 

12 product; and 

13 ‘‘(ii) As a result of the change in 

14 physical state or the manner in which the 

15 agricultural commodity or product was 

16 produced or segregated— 

17 ‘‘(I) the customer base for the 

18 agricultural commodity or product has 

19 been expanded; and 

20 ‘‘(II) a greater portion of the rev21 enue derived from the marketing, 

22 processing, or physical segregation of 

23 the agricultural commodity or product 

24 is available to the producer of the 

25 commodity or product. 


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1 ‘‘(B) INCLUSION.—The term includes such 

2 farm- or ranch-based renewable energy con3 servation and generation projects as are ineli4 gible for assistance under section 9006 of the 

5 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 

6 2002 and are otherwise eligible for this pro7 gram, as determined by the Secretary. 

8 ‘‘(2) MID-TIER VALUE CHAIN.—The term ‘mid9 tier value chain’ means supply networks that link 

10 independent producers with businesses and coopera11 tives that market value-added agricultural products 

12 in a manner that— 

13 ‘‘(A) specifically targets and strengthens 

14 the profitability and competitiveness of mid15 sized family farms, that are not larger than 

16 family farms, as defined in regulations pursu17 ant to section 302 of the Consolidated Farm 

18 and Rural Development; 

19 ‘‘(B) obtains agreement from the eligible 

20 agricultural producer group, farmer or rancher 

21 cooperative, or majority-controlled producer22 based business venture engaged in the value 

23 chain in the method for price determination; 

24 and 


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1 ‘‘(C) adheres to clear and transparent so2 cial, environmental, economic, and consumer 

3 standards and equitable business practices 

4 throughout all parts of the supply network. 

5 ‘‘(3) SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMER.—The 

6 term ‘socially disadvantaged farmer’ has the mean7 ing given the term in section 355(e) of the Consoli8 dated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 

9 2003 (e)). 

10 ‘‘(b) GRANT PROGRAM.—From amounts made avail11 able to carry out this section, the Secretary shall award 

12 competitive grants— 

13 ‘‘(1) to an eligible independent producer (as de14 termined by the Secretary) of a value-added agricul15 tural product to assist the producer— 

16 ‘‘(A) in developing a business plan for via17 ble marketing opportunities for the value-added 

18 agricultural product; or 

19 ‘‘(B) in developing strategies that are in20 tended to create marketing opportunities for 

21 the producer; 

22 ‘‘(2) to an eligible agricultural producer group, 

23 farmer or rancher cooperative, or majority-controlled 

24 producer-based business venture (as determined by 

25 the Secretary) to assist the entity— 


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1 ‘‘(A) in developing a business plan for via2 ble marketing opportunities in emerging mar3 kets for a value-added agricultural product; or 

4 ‘‘(B) in developing strategies that are in5 tended to create marketing opportunities in 

6 emerging markets for the value-added agricul7 tural product; and 

8 ‘‘(3) to nonprofit organizations, educational in9 stitutions, and units of government to assist pro10 ducers and groups eligible under paragraph (A) or 

11 (B) by— 

12 ‘‘(A) providing training or technical assist13 ance; or 

14 ‘‘(B) conducting outreach on the avail15 ability of the program and application require16 ments. 

17 ‘‘(c) GRANT AMOUNTS AND ALLOCATIONS.— 

18 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para19 graph (2), the total amount provided under this sec20 tion to a grant recipient shall not exceed $500,000. 

21 ‘‘(2) FEASIBILITY STUDY GRANTS.—The total 

22 amount provided under this section to a grant recipi23 ent for a feasibility study grant shall not exceed 

24 $100,000. 


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1 ‘‘(3) MAJORITY-CONTROLLED PRODUCER-BASED

2 BUSINESS VENTURES.—The amount of grants pro3 vided to majority-controlled producer-based business 

4 ventures under subsection (b)(2) for a fiscal year 

5 may not exceed 10 percent of the amount of funds 

6 that are used to make grants for the fiscal year 

7 under this section. 

8 ‘‘(4) FARM AND RANCH-BASED RENEWABLE EN9 ERGY.—The amount of grants provided for farm and 

10 ranch-based renewable energy conservation and gen11 eration for a fiscal year may not exceed 15 percent 

12 of the amount of funds that are used to make grants 

13 for the fiscal year under this section. 

14 ‘‘(5) MID-TIER VALUE CHAINS.—To the max15 imum extent practicable, the amount of grants pro16 vided for mid-tier value chains for a fiscal year shall 

17 be not less than 15 percent of the amount of funds 

18 that are used to make grants for the fiscal year 

19 under this section. 

20 ‘‘(6) SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS AND

21 RANCHERS.—To the maximum extent practicable, 

22 the amount of grants provided for projects which in23 clude the significant participation of socially dis24 advantaged farmers and ranchers for a fiscal year 

25 shall be not less than 10 percent of the amount of 


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1 funds that are used to make grants for the fiscal 

2 year under this section. 

3 ‘‘(7) TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND

4 OUTREACH.—The amount of grants provided to non5 profit organizations, educational institutions, and 

6 units of government under subsection (b)(3) for a 

7 fiscal year may not exceed 10 percent of the amount 

8 of funds that are used to make grants for the fiscal 

9 year under this section. 

10 ‘‘(8) SMALL AND INDIVIDUAL PRODUCER

11 GRANTS.—The Secretary may provide for separate 

12 funding pools for proposals requesting less than 

13 $50,000 grants and for individual producer grants. 

14 ‘‘(d) GRANTEE STRATEGIES.—A recipient of a grant 

15 under this section shall use the grant— 

16 ‘‘(1) to develop a business plan or perform a 

17 feasibility study to establish a viable marketing op18 portunity for a value-added agricultural product; or 

19 ‘‘(2) to provide capital to establish alliances or 

20 business ventures that allow the producer of the 

21 value-added agricultural product to better compete 

22 in domestic or international markets. 

23 ‘‘(e) PRIORITY.— 

24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In awarding grants the 

25 Secretary shall give the priority to projects that— 


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1 ‘‘(A) are 100 percent producer owned; 

2 ‘‘(B) contribute to increasing the number 

3 and quality of self-employment opportunities in 

4 farming and ranching by increasing value-added 

5 opportunities for beginning farmers and ranch6 ers, socially disadvantaged farmers and ranch7 ers, and other operations that are not larger 

8 than family farms, as defined in regulations 

9 pursuant to section 302 of the Consolidated 

10 Farm and Rural Development Act; 

11 ‘‘(C) help retain and enhance small and 

12 medium-sized farms and ranches and preserve 

13 productive farm and ranch lands; 

14 ‘‘(D) conserve and enhance the quality of 

15 land, water, and energy resources, wildlife habi16 tat, and other landscape values and amenities 

17 in rural areas; and 

18 ‘‘(E) support new ventures that do not 

19 have well-established market or product devel20 opment staffs and budgets. 

21 ‘‘(2) MID-TIER VALUE CHAIN GRANTS.—In 

22 awarding grants pursuant to subsection (b)(2), the 

23 Secretary shall give priority to projects that facili24 tate partnerships that may involve businesses, coVerDate Aug 31 2005 03:02 May 19, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2364.IH H2364

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1 operatives, non-profit organizations, agencies, and 

2 educational institutions. 

3 ‘‘(3) REGIONAL BALANCE.—In awarding grants 

4 the Secretary shall to the maximum extent prac5 ticable ensure that all States and regions are able to 

6 participate. 

7 ‘‘(f) TERM.—A grant under this section shall have 

8 a term that does not exceed three years. 

9 ‘‘(g) SIMPLIFIED APPLICATION.—The Secretary shall 

10 offer a simplified application form and process for project 

11 proposals requesting less than $50,000. 

12 ‘‘(h) FUNDING.—Not later than 30 days after the 

13 date of enactment of the Local Food and Farm Support 

14 Act, on October 1, 2008, and on each October 1 thereafter 

15 through October 1, 2012, of the funds of the Commodity 

16 Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall make available to 

17 carry out this section $60,000,000. Such amounts shall 

18 remain available until expended. 

19 ‘‘SEC. 232. FAMILY FARMER AND RANCHER VIABILITY AND 

20 INNOVATION FUND. 

21 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall estab22 lish a demonstration program to be known as the ‘Family 

23 Farmer and Rancher Viability and Innovation Fund’ 

24 under which the Secretary shall make grants to groups 

25 of producers who operate not larger than family farms, 


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1 as defined in regulations pursuant to section 302 of the 

2 Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, for inno3 vative strategies, other than marketing value-added agri4 cultural products, that enhance viability, profitability, and 

5 competitiveness through joint efforts. 

6 ‘‘(b) FUNDING.—Of the amounts made available 

7 under section 231(h) for each fiscal year, the Secretary 

8 shall use to carry out this section— 

9 ‘‘(1) not less than $2 million for fiscal year 

10 2008; 

11 ‘‘(2) not less than $3 million for fiscal year 

12 2009; and 

13 ‘‘(3) not less than $10 million for fiscal years 

14 2010 through 2012.’’. 

15 SEC. 3. HEALTHY FOOD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT PRO16 GRAM. 

17 Title II of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act 

18 of 2004 (Public Law 108–465) is amended by adding at 

19 the end the following: 

20 ‘‘SEC. 204. HEALTHY FOOD ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT 

21 PROGRAM. 

22 ‘‘(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find23 ings: 

24 ‘‘(1) The average distance fresh foods, espe25 cially fresh fruits and vegetables, travel from point 


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1 of production to point of retail sale has increased 

2 over the past three decades to at least 1,500 miles 

3 as referenced in a 2003 report from Iowa State Uni4 versity. 

5 ‘‘(2) It is in the public interest that agricultural 

6 producers, including small and mid-sized family 

7 farms and ranches, socially disadvantaged farmers 

8 and ranchers, and beginning farmers and ranchers, 

9 have access to a local and regional processors and 

10 distributors to foster competitive markets and im11 prove farm and ranch profitability. 

12 ‘‘(3) Improving producer access to processing, 

13 distribution, and other marketing services can sig14 nificantly enhance consumer access to affordable lo15 cally and regionally-produced foods. 

16 ‘‘(4) Increasing the availability of locally and 

17 regionally-produced food is especially in important 

18 for improving food access in underserved commu19 nities. 

20 ‘‘(5) Renewal of local and regional food systems 

21 will encourage the preservation of farm and ranch 

22 lands and spur natural resource and environmental 

23 improvements. 

24 ‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to 

25 support farm and ranch income by significantly enhancing 


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1 a producer’s share of the final retail product price through 

2 improved access to competitive processing and distribution 

3 systems which deliver affordable, locally and regionally 

4 produced foods to consumers, improve food access in un5 derserved communities, and help save farm and ranch land 

6 and protect natural resources. 

7 ‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

8 ‘‘(1) BEGINNING FARMER OR RANCHER.—The 

9 term ‘beginning farmer or rancher’ has the meaning 

10 given the term ‘qualified beginning farmer or ranch11 er’ in section 343(a) of the Consolidated Farm and 

12 Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)). 

13 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en14 tity’ includes— 

15 ‘‘(A) a small or midsized processor, dis16 tributor, wholesaler, or retail food outlet; 

17 ‘‘(B) a group of producers operating as a 

18 legally recognized marketing alliance; 

19 ‘‘(C) a producer-owned cooperative; 

20 ‘‘(D) a nonprofit organization; 

21 ‘‘(E) an economic development or commu22 nity development corporation; 

23 ‘‘(F) a unit of State or local government; 

24 and 

25 ‘‘(G) an academic institution. 


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1 ‘‘(3) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘Indian tribe’ 

2 has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 

3 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

4 Act (25 U.S.C. 450b). 

5 ‘‘(4) LOCALLY OR REGIONALLY PRODUCED

6 FOOD.—The term ‘locally or regionally produced 

7 food’ means any agricultural product distributed 

8 within the locality or region in which the agricultural 

9 product is produced in a manner that ensures that— 

10 ‘‘(A) typically convey information regard11 ing the product origin, production practices, or 

12 other similar information which is a source of 

13 value to the end-use consumer; 

14 ‘‘(B) the income of the producer is in15 creased through maximization of the share of 

16 the retail food price retained by the producer; 

17 ‘‘(C) consumers are provided with afford18 able agricultural products produced, processed, 

19 and distributed in the locality or region of the 

20 consumers; and 

21 ‘‘(D) have traveled at least less than half 

22 of the current average distance of all food pro23 duced and consumed in the United States as 

24 determined by the Secretary 


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1 ‘‘(5) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 

2 the Secretary of Agriculture. 

3 ‘‘(6) SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMER OR

4 RANCHER.—The term ‘socially disadvantaged farmer 

5 or rancher’ has the meaning given the term in sec6 tion 355(e) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural De7 velopment Act (7 U.S.C. 2003(e)). 

8 ‘‘(7) UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY.—The term 

9 ‘underserved community’ includes any community 

10 that may have, as determined by the Secretary— 

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

12 foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, in 

13 grocery retail stores or farmer-to-consumer di14 rect markets; 

15 ‘‘(B) high incidences of diet-related dis16 eases, including obesity; 

17 ‘‘(C) high rates of hunger or food insecu18 rity; or 

19 ‘‘(D) severe or persistent poverty in urban 

20 or rural communities, including Indian tribal 

21 communities. 

22 ‘‘(d) GRANT PROGRAM.— 

23 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, acting 

24 through the head of the market services branch of 

25 the Agricultural Marketing Service, shall establish a 


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1 program under which the Secretary shall provide 

2 grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to 

3 conduct enterprise feasibility studies (including stud4 ies of consumer preference), in accordance with the 

5 purpose of this section. 

6 ‘‘(2) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a 

7 grant under this subsection, an eligible entity shall 

8 submit to the Secretary an application at such time, 

9 in such manner, and containing such information as 

10 the Secretary may require. 

11 ‘‘(3) COORDINATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES.— 

12 In carrying out the program under this subsection, 

13 the Secretary shall coordinate, with respect to the 

14 development of the program and reviews of grant 

15 applications, with— 

16 ‘‘(A) the Cooperative State Research, Edu17 cation, and Extension Service; and 

18 ‘‘(B) the Rural Business Cooperative Serv19 ice. 

20 ‘‘(4) PRIORITY.—In providing grants under this 

21 subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to appli22 cations with proposed projects that— 

23 ‘‘(A) convey food products produced, proc24 essed, distributed near to point of final retail 

25 purchase, with the total distance a food product 


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1 travels to the point of retail purchase as a 

2 measure of product freshness and compliance 

3 with the purpose in subsection (b); 

4 ‘‘(B) are from partnerships of 2 or more 

5 eligible entities; 

6 ‘‘(C) include features effectively targeting 

7 participation by socially disadvantaged farmers 

8 or ranchers or beginning farmers or ranchers; 

9 ‘‘(D) increase employment opportunities in 

10 underserved communities; 

11 ‘‘(E) support small and mid-sized farm vi12 ability and increase farming opportunities; or 

13 ‘‘(F) establish and maintain satisfactory 

14 environmental and labor standards, including 

15 worker protection. 

16 ‘‘(5) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The amount of a 

17 grant provided under this subsection shall not exceed 

18 $250,000. 

19 ‘‘(6) TERM.—A grant provided under this sub20 section shall have a term of not more than 3 years. 

21 ‘‘(7) REPORTS.— 

22 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible entity 

23 that receives a grant under this subsection shall 

24 submit to the Secretary an annual report de25 scribing the results and progress of each feasiVerDate Aug 31 2005 03:02 May 19, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00017 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2364.IH H2364

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1 bility study to ensure sufficient progress is 

2 achieved with respect to the goals of the 

3 projects carried out by the eligible entity. 

4 ‘‘(B) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The Sec5 retary shall ensure that any information con6 tained in a report under subparagraph (A) re7 lating to consumer preference or producer avail8 ability is made available to the public. 

9 ‘‘(8) FUNDING.—On October 1, 2008, and on 

10 each October 1 thereafter through October 1, 2013, 

11 out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise ap12 propriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall 

13 transfer to the Secretary to carry out this subsection 

14 $5,000,000, to remain available until expended. 

15 ‘‘(e) ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT LOAN PRO16 GRAM.— 

17 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, acting 

18 through the Agricultural Marketing Service, shall es19 tablish a program under which the Secretary shall 

20 provide loans and loan guarantees to eligible entities 

21 and individual producers for use in accordance with 

22 paragraph (6). 

23 ‘‘(2) COORDINATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES.— 

24 In carrying out the program under this subsection, 

25 the Secretary shall coordinate, with respect to the 


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1 development of the program, reviews of applications, 

2 and implementation with the Rural Business Coop3 erative Service. 

4 ‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a 

5 loan or loan guarantee under this subsection, an eli6 gible entity or individual producer shall submit to 

7 the Secretary an application at such time, in such 

8 manner, and containing such information as the Sec9 retary may require. 

10 ‘‘(4) REQUIREMENTS.— 

11 ‘‘(A) PRIORITY.—In providing loans and 

12 loan guarantees under this subsection, the Sec13 retary shall give priority to applications with 

14 proposed projects that— 

15 ‘‘(i) convey food products produced, 

16 processed, distributed near to point of final 

17 retail purchase, with the total distance a 

18 food product travels to the point of retail 

19 purchase as a measure of product 

20 freshness and compliance with the purpose 

21 in subsection (b); 

22 ‘‘(ii) are from partnerships of 2 or 

23 more eligible entities; 

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1 taged farmers or ranchers or beginning 

2 farmers or ranchers; 

3 ‘‘(iv) increase employment opportuni4 ties in underserved communities; 

5 ‘‘(v) establish and maintain clear envi6 ronmental and labor standards, including 

7 worker protection; or 

8 ‘‘(vi) support small and mid-sized 

9 farm viability and increase farming oppor10 tunities. 

11 ‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—The Secretary shall 

12 ensure that no recipient of a loan or loan guar13 antee under this subsection holds, or signifi14 cantly benefits from, more than 1 loan or guar15 antee for the term of the loan or guarantee. 

16 ‘‘(5) DIRECT LOANS.— 

17 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 

18 provide loans under this subsection— 

19 ‘‘(i) on an annual and competitive 

20 basis; 

21 ‘‘(ii) after conducting a review of ap22 plicable applications in accordance with 

23 subsection (c)(3); 

24 ‘‘(iii) in a manner that is economically 

25 sound, as determined by the Secretary; 


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1 ‘‘(iv) that may be subordinated to 

2 loans made by local private lenders; and 

3 ‘‘(v) in an amount equal to not more 

4 than $1,500,000, as adjusted to reflect 

5 changes for the 12-month period ending 

6 the preceding November 30 in the Con7 sumer Price Index for All Urban Con8 sumers published by the Bureau of Labor 

9 Statistics of the Department of Labor. 

10 ‘‘(B) INTEREST RATE.—The interest rate 

11 of a loan provided under this subsection— 

12 ‘‘(i) shall be equivalent to the interest 

13 rate of securities of the United States 

14 Treasury of comparable maturity as of the 

15 date on which the loan is provided; 

16 ‘‘(ii) may be offered as a variable rate 

17 to allow lower-interest payments until an 

18 eligible entity is able to pay higher-interest 

19 payments, subject to the condition that the 

20 total interest rate does not exceed the 

21 standard interest rate of the Department 

22 of the Treasury, as in existence on the 

23 date on which the loan is approved; and 

24 ‘‘(iii) shall not change, in the aggre25 gate, during the term of the loan. 


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1 ‘‘(C) REPAYMENT.—An eligible entity or 

2 individual producer shall repay the Secretary an 

3 amount equal to the amount of the loan re4 ceived by the eligible entity or individual pro5 ducer (including interest) by not later than 15 

6 years after the date on which the loan is pro7 vided. 

8 ‘‘(D) UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.—The 

9 Secretary shall defer repayment of a loan (in10 cluding interest) provided to an eligible entity 

11 located in an underserved community for the 3- 

12 year period beginning on the date on which the 

13 loan is provided. 

14 ‘‘(6) LOAN GUARANTEES.— 

15 ‘‘(A) RATES.— 

16 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as pro17 vided in clauses (ii) and (iii), the rate of a 

18 loan guarantee provided under this sub19 section shall be not less than 80 percent 

20 and not more than 90 percent. 

21 ‘‘(ii) CERTAIN RECIPIENTS.—The rate 

22 of a loan guarantee provided under this 

23 subsection to an eligible entity that serves 

24 primarily a majority of socially disadvan25 taged farmers or ranchers or beginning 


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1 farmers or ranchers, as determined by the 

2 Secretary, shall be not less than 95 per3 cent. 

4 ‘‘(iii) CERTAIN PROJECTS.—The rate 

5 of a loan guarantee provided under this 

6 subsection for a project that, as deter7 mined by the Secretary, will result in in8 creased employment in a low-income com9 munity, an economic empowerment zone, 

10 or such other similar area as the Secretary 

11 may designate, shall be not less than 95 

12 percent. 

13 ‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE LENDERS.—For purposes 

14 of loan guarantees under this paragraph, eligi15 ble lender institutions include— 

16 ‘‘(i) community development financial 

17 institutions; 

18 ‘‘(ii) community development banks; 

19 ‘‘(iii) credit unions; 

20 ‘‘(iv) banks owned by Indian tribes; 

21 and 

22 ‘‘(v) such other institutions as the 

23 Secretary may designate to ensure equi24 table access to loan guarantees— 

25 ‘‘(I) in each State; and 


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1 ‘‘(II) to Indian tribal organiza2 tions. 

3 ‘‘(C) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The amount of 

4 a loan guarnateed under this subsection shall 

5 not exceed $1,500,000, as adjusted to reflect 

6 changes for the 12-month period ending the 

7 preceding November 30 in the Consumer Price 

8 Index for All Urban Consumers published by 

9 the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Depart10 ment of Labor. 

11 ‘‘(7) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity or in12 dividual producer shall use funds provided pursuant 

13 to a loan or loan guarantee under this subsection to 

14 develop processing, distribution, and information in15 frastructure for locally or regionally produced food, 

16 in accordance with the purpose of this section, in17 cluding through— 

18 ‘‘(A) construction of new infrastructure; 

19 ‘‘(B) rehabilitation of existing infrastruc20 ture; 

21 ‘‘(C) activities to support the development 

22 of marketing networks and alliances; 

23 ‘‘(D) development of information infra24 structure, including websites; 


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1 ‘‘(E) purchases of equipment for proc2 essing, distribution, transportation, storage, 

3 and other related purposes; and 

4 ‘‘(F) other activities, as the Secretary de5 termines to be appropriate. 

6 ‘‘(8) FUNDING.—On October 1, 2008, and on 

7 each October 1 thereafter through October 1, 2013, 

8 out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise ap9 propriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall 

10 transfer to the Secretary to carry out this subsection 

11 $35,000,000, to remain available until expended, of 

12 which— 

13 ‘‘(A) not less than $15,000,000 shall be 

14 used for each fiscal year to provide loans under 

15 paragraph (4); and 

16 ‘‘(B) not less than $10,000,000 shall be 

17 used for each fiscal year to provide loan guar18 antees under paragraph (5). 

19 ‘‘(f) GRANT AND LOAN PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.— 

20 ‘‘(1) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND OUT21 REACH.— 

22 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall— 

23 ‘‘(i) provide to the public information 

24 relating to the grant and loan programs 

25 under this section; and 


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1 ‘‘(ii) provide technical assistance to— 

2 ‘‘(I) socially disadvantaged farm3 ers or ranchers; 

4 ‘‘(II) Indian tribal organizations; 

5 ‘‘(III) low-income populations; 

6 and 

7 ‘‘(IV) other underserved commu8 nities and producers. 

9 ‘‘(B) SERVICE PROVIDERS.—In carrying 

10 out subparagraph (A), the Secretary may enter 

11 into contracts, on a competitive basis, with enti12 ties that, as determined by the Secretary— 

13 ‘‘(i) demonstrate experience in serving 

14 socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers 

15 and other underserved communities and 

16 producers; 

17 ‘‘(ii) include, in the governance struc18 ture of the entity, 2 or more members rep19 resenting the targeted communities served 

20 by the entity; and 

21 ‘‘(iii) will share information developed 

22 or used by the entity with— 

23 ‘‘(I) researchers; 

24 ‘‘(II) practitioners; and 

25 ‘‘(III) other interested parties. 


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1 ‘‘(C) FUNDING.—On October 1, 2008, and 

2 on each October 1 thereafter through October 

3 1, 2013, out of any funds in the Treasury not 

4 otherwise appropriated, the Secretary of the 

5 Treasury shall transfer to the Secretary to 

6 carry out this paragraph not less than 

7 $200,000 and not more than an amount equal 

8 to 5 percent of the funds required to carry out 

9 this program, to remain available until ex10 pended. 

11 ‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS.—For purposes of the pro12 grams under this section, the Secretary— 

13 ‘‘(A) shall not give preference to any entity 

14 based on an agricultural commodity produced 

15 or supported by the entity; and 

16 ‘‘(B) shall encourage, to the maximum ex17 tent practicable, projects that use infrastructure 

18 efficiently for more than 1 agricultural product. 

19 ‘‘(3) REPORT.—Not less frequently than once 

20 each year, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a 

21 report that describes the programs (including the 

22 level of participation in each program) under this 

23 section, including information relating to— 

24 ‘‘(A) projects carried out under this sec25 tion; 


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1 ‘‘(B) characteristics of the agricultural 

2 producers and communities served by the 

3 projects; 

4 ‘‘(C) the benefits of the projects; 

5 ‘‘(D) data necessary to comply with— 

6 ‘‘(i) section 2501A of the Food, Agri7 culture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 

8 1990 (7 U.S.C. 2279–1); or 

9 ‘‘(ii) section 8(b)(5)(B) of the Soil 

10 Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act 

11 (16 U.S.C. 590h(b)(5)); and 

12 ‘‘(E) outreach and technical assistance ac13 tivities carried out by the Secretary under para14 graph (1).’’. 

15 SEC. 4. DIRECT FARMER TO CONSUMER MARKETING AS16 SISTANCE PROGRAM. 

17 Section 6 of the Farmers-to-Consumers Direct Mar18 keting Act of 1976 (7 U.S.C. 3005) is amended to read 

19 as follows: 

20 ‘‘SEC. 6. DIRECT FARMER TO CONSUMER MARKETING AS21 SISTANCE PROGRAM. 

22 ‘‘(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that— 

23 ‘‘(1) agricultural direct farmer to consumer 

24 marketing activities, including farmers markets, 

25 roadside stands, community supported agriculture, 


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1 internet, mail-order, and other similar direct order 

2 marketing activities significantly enhance the ability 

3 of agricultural producers to retain a greater share of 

4 their products’ retail value; 

5 ‘‘(2) direct farmer-to-consumer marketing ac6 tivities are a crucial component of the current and 

7 future viability of small and mid-sized farms and 

8 ranches, and beginning and socially disadvantaged 

9 farmers and ranchers; and 

10 ‘‘(3) agricultural direct marketing activities 

11 contribute to the health and well-being of consumers 

12 in rural, urban, and tribal communities by providing 

13 access to healthy, fresh, and affordable food. 

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

15 out a program, to be known as the ‘Direct to Consumer 

16 Marketing Assistance Program’ (referred to in this section 

17 as the ‘Program’), to make grants to eligible entities for 

18 projects to establish, expand, and promote farmers’ mar19 kets, and other farmer to consumer direct marketing op20 portunities. 

21 ‘‘(c) PROGRAM PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Pro22 gram are— 

23 ‘‘(1) to increase domestic consumption of agri24 cultural commodities by improving and expanding, 


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1 or assisting in the improvement and expansion of di2 rect producer to consumer marketing opportunities; 

3 ‘‘(2) to develop, or aid in the development of, 

4 new direct producer to consumer marketing opportu5 nities; 

6 ‘‘(3) to increase direct producer to consumer di7 rect marketing opportunities in underserved areas by 

8 providing, to the maximum extent possible, not less 

9 than twenty-five percent of program grants to 

10 projects in areas determined underserved by the Sec11 retary. 

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

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

14 ‘‘(1) two or more farmers and or farm vendors 

15 who sell their own products through a common 

16 channel of distribution; 

17 ‘‘(2) producer networks and associations; 

18 ‘‘(3) a local government; 

19 ‘‘(4) a nonprofit corporation; 

20 ‘‘(5) a public benefit corporation; 

21 ‘‘(6) an economic development corporation; 

22 ‘‘(7) a regional farmers’ market authority; or 

23 ‘‘(8) such other entity as the Secretary may 

24 designate. 


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1 ‘‘(e) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—Eligible direct farmer2 to-consumer activities include— 

3 ‘‘(1) farmers markets; 

4 ‘‘(2) roadside stands; 

5 ‘‘(3) community supported agriculture; 

6 ‘‘(4) activities to support the use of EBT at 

7 farmers markets and, where feasible, other direct 

8 market enterprises; 

9 ‘‘(5) pick your own operations; 

10 ‘‘(6) internet and mail-order sales with eligible 

11 entities qualifying as producer networks and associa12 tions under this section limited to those engaged in 

13 emerging markets; 

14 ‘‘(7) producer-run agritourism activities facili15 tating the direct sale of agricultural products; and 

16 ‘‘(8) other similar ventures as determined by 

17 the Secretary. 

18 ‘‘(f) LIMITATIONS.—An eligible entity may not use a 

19 grant or other assistance provided under this Program for 

20 the purchase, construction, or rehabilitation of a building 

21 or structure. 

22 ‘‘(g) CRITERIA AND GUIDELINES.—The Secretary 

23 shall establish criteria and guidelines for the submission, 

24 evaluation, and funding of proposed projects under the 

25 Program. 


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1 ‘‘(h) FUNDING.—Not later than 30 days after the 

2 date of enactment of the Local Food and Farm Support 

3 Act, on October 1, 2008, and on each October 1 thereafter 

4 through October 1, 2012, of the funds of the Commodity 

5 Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall make available to 

6 carry out this subsection $25,000,000. Such funds shall 

7 remain available until expended.’’. 

8 SEC. 5. WIC FARMER’S MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM. 

9 Section 17(m)(9)(A) of the Child Nutrition Act of 

10 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(m)(9)(A)) is amended— 

11 (1) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘2009’’ and insert12 ing ‘‘2013’’; and 

13 (2) by striking clause (ii) and inserting the fol14 lowing: 

15 ‘‘(ii) MANDATORY FUNDING.—Of the funds of the 

16 Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary shall make 

17 available to carry out this subsection $20,000,000 for fis18 cal year 2008, $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, 

19 $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, $60,000,000 for fiscal 

20 year 2011, and not less than $75,000,000 for fiscal year 

21 2012 and each fiscal year thereafter. Such funds shall re22 main available until expended.’’. 

23 SEC. 6. SENIOR FARMERS’ MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM. 

24 Section 4402 of the Farm Security and Rural Invest25 ment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3007) is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘$5,000,000’’ 

2 and all that follows through ‘‘2007’’, and inserting 

3 ‘‘$20,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, $30,000,000 for 

4 fiscal year 2009, $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, 

5 $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, and not less than 

6 $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2012 and each fiscal 

7 year thereafter’’, and 

8 (2) in subsection (b)— 

9 (A) in paragraph (2) by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

10 the end, 

11 (B) in paragraph (3) by striking the period 

12 at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’, and 

13 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(4) to promote the transition to organic and 

15 other environmentally beneficial food production sys16 tems.’’; and 

17 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub18 section: 

19 ‘‘(d) ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS; BENEFITS LEVELS.— 

20 The regulations required by subsection (c) 

21 ‘‘(1) shall allow for participation by farmers 

22 markets, and roadside stands, community supported 

23 agriculture programs; and 


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1 ‘‘(2) shall not limit the ability of State or re2 gional programs to set benefit levels per individual 

3 senior.’’. 

4 SEC. 7. COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECT COMPETITIVE 

5 GRANTS. 

6 (a) AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE.—Section 

7 25(b) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2034(b)) 

8 is amended— 

9 (1) in paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘From 

10 amounts made available to carry out this Act, the 

11 Secretary may’’ and inserting ‘‘The Secretary shall’’; 

12 and 

13 (2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 

14 following: 

15 ‘‘(2) FUNDING AMOUNTS.—From amounts 

16 made available to carry out this Act, the Secretary 

17 shall use $60,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 

18 through 2013 to make grants under this section.’’. 

19 (b) PREFERENCE FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS.—Section 

20 25(d) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2034(d)) 

21 is amended— 

22 (1) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 

23 end; 

24 (2) in paragraph (4) by striking the period at 

25 the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 


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1 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

2 ‘‘(5) serve special project needs in areas of— 

3 ‘‘(A) transportation and processing for ex4 panding institutional and emergency food serv5 ice demand for local food; 

6 ‘‘(B) retail access to healthy foods in un7 derserved markets; 

8 ‘‘(C) integration of urban and metro-area 

9 food production in food projects; and 

10 ‘‘(D) technical assistance for youth, so11 cially disadvantaged individuals, and limited re12 source groups.’’. 

13 (c) MATCHING FUNDS REQUIREMENTS.—Section 

14 25(e)(1) of the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 

15 2034(e)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘50’’ and inserting 

16 ‘‘75’’. 

17 (d) TERM OF GRANT.—Section 25(f)(2) of the Food 

18 Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2034(f)(2)) is amended by 

19 striking ‘‘3’’ and inserting ‘‘5’’. 

20 (e) FUNDING.—Section 25(h)(4) of the Food Stamp 

21 Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2034(h)(4)) is amended— 

22 (1) by striking ‘‘fiscal years 2003 through 

23 2007’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal years 2008 through 

24 2013’’; and 


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1 (2) by striking ‘‘$200,000’’ and inserting 

2 ‘‘$500,000’’. 

3 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION LEVEL FOR FARM-TO-CAFETERIA 

4 ACTIVITIES. 

5 Section 18 of the Richard B. Russell National School 

6 Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769) is amended in subsection 

7 (i)(2) by striking ‘‘such sums as are necessary’’ and all 

8 that follows through the period at the end and inserting 

9 ‘‘to carry out this subsection $20,000,000 for each of fis10 cal years 2008 through 2013.’’. 

11 SEC. 9. PURCHASES OF LOCALLY PRODUCED FOODS. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall— 

13 (1) allow institutions participating in the school 

14 lunch program under this Act, the Department of 

15 Defense Farm to School Program and the programs 

16 established by the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 

17 U.S.C. 1773) to use geographic preferences in their 

18 bidding and procurement programs to purchase, in 

19 addition to other food purchases, locally produced 

20 foods for meal programs; 

21 (2) advise institutions participating in a pro22 gram described in paragraph (1) of the policy de23 scribed in that subparagraph and post information 

24 concerning the policy on the website maintained by 

25 the Secretary; 


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1 (3) in accordance with requirements established 

2 by the Secretary, provide startup grants to not more 

3 than 200 institutions to defray the initial costs of 

4 equipment, materials, and storage facilities, and 

5 similar costs, incurred in carrying out the policy de6 scribed in paragraph (1); 

7 (4) report to Congress annually concerning im8 plementation of this section. 

9 (b) CLARIFICATION REGARDING GEOGRAPHIC PREF10 ERENCES.—Nothing in this Act or any other provision of 

11 law shall be construed to preempt, prohibit, or otherwise 

12 limit the authority of institutions participating in the pro13 grams described in subsection (a)(1) of this section from 

14 using geographic preferences in their bidding and procure15 ment programs to purchase, in addition to other food pur16 chases, locally produced foods for meal programs. 

17 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

19 appropriated to carry out this section $400,000 for 

20 each of fiscal years 2007 through 2012 to remain 

21 available until expended. 

22 (2) LIMITATION.—No amounts may be made 

23 available to carry out this section unless specifically 

24 provided by an appropriation Act. 


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1 SEC. 10. SCHOOL PREFERENCE STUDY. 

2 The Secretary of Agriculture shall carry out a study 

3 on the preferences of elementary and secondary schools 

4 for commodity distribution, including the extent to which 

5 such schools prefer commodity distribution to include 

6 fresh fruits and vegetables, and submit to Congress a re7 port on the results of the study. The report shall include 

8 an analysis of the logistical issues that would impede ef9 forts to increase the extent to which commodity distribu10 tion to schools includes fresh fruits and vegetables, and 

11 shall include recommendations for improving the avail12 ability of fresh fruits and vegetables to schools. 

13 SEC. 11. FOOD STAMP FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INCENTIVE 

14 PROGRAM. 

15 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established a 

16 demonstration project within the Food Stamp Program to 

17 provide incentives for program participants to purchase 

18 more fruits and vegetables. This demonstration project 

19 shall be available to all States that submit to the Secretary 

20 a plan that meets the requirements of this section. Ap21 proved projects that meet plan requirements may operate 

22 within a State for a period of up to five years but not 

23 beyond September 30, 2012. 

24 (b) STATE PLAN REQUIREMENTS.—State proposals 

25 to operate a fruit and vegetable incentive demonstration 

26 project shall provide a description of the following: 


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1 (1) the incentive mechanism that will be imple2 mented and how it will be implemented; 

3 (2) the categories of fruit and vegetable pur4 chases to which the incentive will apply; 

5 (3) the plan to inform food stamp consumers of 

6 the incentive and of the categories of fruits and 

7 vegetables to which the incentive applies; 

8 (4) the nutrition education activities that will 

9 be conducted to support the incentive; 

10 (5) the methodology to be used to evaluate the 

11 impact of the incentive on the food purchases of food 

12 stamp households when utilizing Food Stamp Pro13 gram benefits; 

14 (6) the plan to meet the following assurances: 

15 (A) that if project incentives apply to fresh 

16 fruits and/or fresh vegetables, the incentive will 

17 be operative in established farmers’ markets for 

18 food stamp consumers who purchase fruits or 

19 vegetables in those venues; 

20 (B) that operation of the demonstration 

21 project at the point of sale will not cause food 

22 stamp consumers to be delayed or to be identi23 fied to the general public as Food Stamp Pro24 gram participants; 


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1 (C) that food retailers and farmers’ market 

2 vendors approved to accept food stamp pur3 chases have participated in the planning of the 

4 operation of the incentive mechanism at point 

5 of purchase; 

6 (D) that no more than 25 percent of the 

7 federal funds expended by or pursuant to the 

8 State agency plan will be utilized for adminis9 trative, educational and or evaluative purposes; 

10 and 

11 (E) that the State agency will provide 

12 quarterly reports on the administrative costs of 

13 the project and annual reports on the impact of 

14 the project on food stamp purchases of fruits 

15 and vegetables; 

16 (c) PLAN APPROVAL.—The Secretary shall approve 

17 State fruit and vegetable incentive demonstration project 

18 proposals that adequately address the required elements. 

19 (d) INCENTIVE MECHANISM.—A State submitting a 

20 proposed plan for the fruit and vegetable demonstration 

21 project shall select one of the following incentive mecha22 nisms for implementation— 

23 (1) bonus payments, not to exceed 10 percent 

24 of purchases of qualifying fruits and vegetables, 

25 which will be credited to the electronic benefit acVerDate Aug 31 2005 03:02 May 19, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00040 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2364.IH H2364

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1 count of the food stamp consumer and may be used 

2 to make additional purchases; or 

3 (2) bonus vouchers, not to exceed the value of 

4 10 percent of purchases of qualifying fruits and 

5 vegetables, which may be used to purchase addi6 tional fruits or vegetables. 

7 (e) CATEGORIES OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.—A 

8 State submitting a proposed plan for the fruit and vege9 table demonstration project shall apply the incentive 

10 mechanism to one or more of the following food categories: 

11 (1) fresh fruits; 

12 (2) fresh vegetables; 

13 (3) canned fruits; 

14 (4) canned vegetables; 

15 (5) frozen fruits; 

16 (6) frozen vegetables; 

17 (7) dried fruits; 

18 (8) dried vegetables. 

19 A food product that consists of one or more reconstituted 

20 or reprocessed fruits or vegetables, or which consists of 

21 less than 100 percent fruit juice, may not be included in 

22 a State’s plan of food products to which the incentive ap23 plies. 

24 (f) ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS.—The Secretary shall re25 imburse all State administrative costs related to the operVerDate Aug 31 2005 03:02 May 19, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2364.IH H2364

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1 ation and evaluation of a demonstration project. No State 

2 administrative cost share may be required. 

3 (g) EVALUATION.—On or before January 1, 2012, 

4 the Secretary shall report to Congress on the impact of 

5 the incentives implemented by the States on total food 

6 purchases by food stamp consumers. 

7 SEC. 12. INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF DEPARTMENT OF 

8 AGRICULTURE COMMODITY PURCHASE 

9 PROCESS. 

10 (a) EVALUATION REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Agri11 culture shall arrange to have performed an independent 

12 evaluation of the commodity purchasing processes (and 

13 the statutory and regulatory authority underlying such 

14 processes) used by the Department of Agriculture to re15 move surplus commodities from the market and support 

16 commodity prices and producer incomes, especially with 

17 regard to activities under section 32 of the Act of August 

18 24, 1935 (7 U.S.C. 612c) and the importance of increas19 ing purchases of perishable specialty crops. 

20 (b) SUBMISSION OF RESULTS.—Not later than one 

21 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec22 retary of Agriculture shall submit to Congress a report 

23 on the results of the evaluation. 

24 SEC. 13. URBAN AGRICULTURE PRODUCTION PROGRAM. 

25 (a) FINDINGS.— 


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1 (1) Urban agriculture production serves health, 

2 food security, economic and community development 

3 goals. 

4 (2) Urban communities at risk for obesity, 

5 Type II diabetes and other chronic diet related dis6 eases benefit from the access to fresh agricultural 

7 products and gardens where good nutritional behav8 ior and healthy food choices are modeled. 

9 (3) Community and school gardens and other 

10 urban agriculture enterprises are entry points for 

11 new food system workers and farmers who value 

12 healthy food choices. 

13 (b) PURPOSE.—To improve food security, address 

14 obesity, increase access to healthy food and nutrition edu15 cation in low income areas, grow the number of urban ag16 ricultural enterprises, community and school gardens, and 

17 the services provided to them. 

18 (c) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, acting 

19 through the Natural Resources Conservation Service 

20 (NRCS) and in cooperation with Cooperative State Re21 search, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) and 

22 other agencies as appropriate, establish an Urban Agri23 culture Production Program which will promote agricul24 tural production capacity in metropolitan counties. 


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1 (d) ASSISTANCE.—In carrying out this program, the 

2 Secretary shall— 

3 (1) provide urban agriculture production 

4 grants, provide technical assistance and carry out in5 formation and education programs to foster food 

6 production in towns and cities; and 

7 (2) provide a priority for projects seeking to di8 rect fresh produce to food insecure communities and 

9 neighborhoods surrounding production sites. 

10 (e) FUNDING AMOUNTS.—From amounts made avail11 able to carry out this section the Secretary shall use 

12 $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012 

13 to make grants under this section. 

14 (f) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible for a grant 

15 under subsection (b), a private nonprofit entity, must— 

16 (1) have experience in areas of— 

17 (A) planning, constructing and maintain18 ing public community or school gardens; and 

19 (B) nonprofit entrepreneurial youth or job 

20 skills training in low-income communities; 

21 (2) demonstrate competency to implement a 

22 project, provide fiscal accountability, collect data, 

23 and prepare reports and other necessary documenta24 tion; and 


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1 (3) demonstrate a willingness to share informa2 tion with researchers, practitioners, and other inter3 ested parties. 

4 (g) PREFERENCE FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS.—In se5 lecting urban agriculture production projects to receive as6 sistance under subsection (b), the Secretary shall give a 

7 preference to projects designed to— 

8 (1) develop and strengthen linkages between 

9 urban producers, community-based organizations, 

10 private businesses, schools and other public institu11 tions and agencies; 

12 (2) operate in underserved markets and low in13 come neighborhoods; and 

14 (3) engage with youth, the elderly, and immi15 grant communities. 

16 (h) MATCHING FUNDS REQUIREMENTS.— 

17 (1) REQUIREMENTS.—The Federal share of the 

18 cost of establishing or carrying out a community 

19 food project that receives assistance under sub20 section (b) may not exceed 75 percent of the cost of 

21 the project during the term of the grant. 

22 (2) CALCULATION.—In providing for the non23 Federal share of the cost of carrying out a commu24 nity food project, the entity receiving the grant shall 

25 provide for the share through a payment in cash or 


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1 in kind, fairly evaluated, including facilities, equip2 ment, or services. 

3 (3) SOURCES.—An entity may provide for the 

4 non-Federal share through State government, local 

5 government, or private sources. 

6 (i) TERM OF GRANT.— 

7 (1) SINGLE GRANT.—An urban food project 

8 may be supported by only a single grant under sub9 section (b). 

10 (2) TERM.—The term of a grant under sub11 section (b) may not exceed 3 years. 

12 (j) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND RELATED INFOR13 MATION.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary may 

14 provide technical assistance regarding urban food projects, 

15 processes, and development to any entity seeking the as16 sistance. 

Æ 


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