Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RONALD S. DANCER
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
Assemblyman BOB ANDRZEJCZAK
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Assemblyman ERIC HOUGHTALING
District 11 (Monmouth)
Assemblyman PARKER SPACE
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
Assemblyman ADAM J. TALIAFERRO
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes NJ “Farm to Restaurant” awards program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing the New Jersey “Farm to Restaurant” awards program, and supplementing Title 4 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Department of Agriculture, in coordination with any agricultural, aquaculture farming, or restaurant organization as determined appropriate by the department, shall establish and promote an awards program to be known as the New Jersey “Farm to Restaurant” awards program.
The program shall annually recognize the best aquaculture farms, and farms that provide products to restaurants that are locally sourced, and annually recognize the best restaurants that offer food made with locally sourced aquaculture farm products.
b. The Department of Agriculture shall establish an application procedure, criteria, and guidelines for the eligibility, nomination, and judging of applications for awards to the best aquaculture farms, farms, and restaurants that provide and offer products that are sourced from local aquaculture farms.
c. The department shall post the names of the recipients of the New Jersey “Farm to Restaurant” awards program prominently on the department’s website, and shall recognize the recipients through the award of a certificate, a press announcement, or another form of recognition deemed appropriate by the department to highlight the achievements of the recipients.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would require the Department of Agriculture, in coordination with any agricultural, aquaculture farming, or restaurant organization as determined appropriate by the department, to establish and promote an awards program to be known as the New Jersey “Farm to Restaurant” awards program. The program would annually recognize the best aquaculture farms, and farms that provide products to restaurants that are locally sourced, and annually recognize the best restaurants that offer food made with locally sourced aquaculture farm products.