ASSEMBLY, No. 1679

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2018 SESSION

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)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblymen Holley, Chiaravalloti, Assemblywoman Lampitt, Assemblyman Gusciora, Assemblywoman N.Munoz, Assemblymen Clifton, Wolfe, Assemblywoman Gove, Assemblyman Rumpf, Assemblywoman Schepisi, Assemblyman Auth, Assemblywomen Mosquera and Quijano

SYNOPSIS

     Establishes NJ “Farm-to-Table Restaurant” awards program.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.

An Act establishing the New Jersey “Farm-to-Table 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-Table Restaurant” awards program.

      The program shall annually recognize the best farms, including aquaculture farms, that provide products to restaurants that are locally sourced, and annually recognize the best restaurants that offer food made with locally sourced 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 farms, including aquaculture farms, and restaurants that provide and offer products that are sourced from local farms.

      c.   The department shall post the names of the recipients of the New Jersey “Farm-to-Table 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-Table Restaurant” awards program.  The program would annually recognize the best farms, including aquaculture farms, that provide products to restaurants that are locally sourced, and annually recognize the best restaurants that offer food made with locally sourced farm products.