Maintain and support continued funding for farmland protection, access, and succession
- Ensure full funding levels and integrity of the Community Investment Act (CIA).
- Support an increase in funding for the CIA.
- Continue farmland preservation and community farms funding.
Increase farmland access opportunities for farmers seeking land
- Update C.G.S. 22-26mm to authorize the Connecticut (CT) Department of Agriculture to administer a farmland access grant program. The program will give grants to agricultural not-for-profit organizations to implement farmland activities including, but not limited, the Option to Purchase at Agricultural Value (OPAV) tool, down payment assistance for new, beginning, and historically marginalized producers, and “Buy-Protect-Sell” projects.
Strengthen the CT Department of Agriculture Farmland Preservation Program
- Remove the $20,000 maximum amount the state can spend on farmland per acre.
- Prioritize establishing new pathways to increase the number of agricultural appraisers and surveyors.
- Support increasing the CT Department of Agriculture’s Farmland Preservation Program staff capacity.
- Explore and support recommendations to establish an urban agriculture easement program in CT.
Implement and increase the amount of climate disaster assistance for farmers
- Support agriculture and farm businesses being included and having a carve out in all state climate disaster assistance programs.
- Create a sustainable funding source for farmers that are impacted by a climate related disaster.
Expand and create more coordinated efforts that will further Statewide Planning for Agriculture
- Build off the work done by the Governor’s Council on Ag. Development.
- Establish an information clearing house for permitting and regulation requirements for farmers.
- Enable town agricultural regulations that reflect and support a localized food economy. This includes encouraging towns to use the Department of Agriculture’s definition of agriculture and supporting “Right to Farm” communities across the state.
Explore and support recommendations made by the CT Department of Agriculture’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group
- Support and fund the creation of a permanent Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Board at the CT Department of Agriculture.
- Create a community working group that regularly meets with members of the DEI Committee and CT Department of Agriculture.
- Establish a clear mechanism to ensure follow-through and accountability.
Support working lands component in any and all climate change legislation
- Fund the CT Department of Agriculture’s Climate-Smart Ag. Program that includes investments in soil health and adaptation strategies.
- Support policies and incentives to encourage forest resiliency.
- Amend the Global Warming Solutions Act to ensure monitoring and reporting on carbon inventory associated with natural and working lands (farms, forests, etc.).
Support provisions that promote smart solar siting, planning, and placement of large-scale arrays. Including disincentives for solar arrays on Prime and Important Farmland and Core Forest
- Support state-level initiatives to convene multi-stakeholder consensus-building processes with representation from diverse members, including marginalized producers, to ensure minimal solar development on farmland and core forest.
- Expand the forest and farmland protections of Public Act 17-218 to include solar projects less than 2 MW and greater than 65 MW, which are currently excluded.
Support the design and implementation of an urban agriculture unit within the CT Department of Agriculture
Support policies that increase agricultural viability of farmers and promote food security
- Increase incentives for schools and other public institutions to procure more CT Grown products, including CT Grown Forest products. This includes fully funding the CT Department of Agriculture’s CT Grown for CT Kids Program and Farm to School Incentive Program.
- Support investments in food system infrastructure (e.g. processing facilities, food aggregators, food hubs, etc.).
- Support additional business technical assistance opportunities for agricultural producers.
- Support on-farm infrastructure tax credits.
