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Legislation to boost IL local food movement advances

Legislation intended to increase access to locally grown food has advanced in the Illinois State Senate.

Senator Dave Koehler, of Peoria, says the Local Food Infrastructure Grant Act would build on an effort started last year…

“Last year, we were fortunate enough to be able to get $2,000,000 to help small specialty growers you know, with any kind of need that they might have getting their produce or their products to market.”  He says, “It’s really the idea to promote more diversity in agriculture.”

He says the grants made an impact…

“I met with some of the farm families that participated in this.”  He says, “This really helped them, whether it was to buy a refrigeration unit to be able to store some of their products that were for sale, whether it was to help with any kind of infrastructure need that they have.”

Koehler tells Brownfield Senate Bill 3077 makes the program permanent under the Illinois Department of Agriculture as a budgeted item.  He says…

“It’s not just urban areas, it’s also in rural areas. We have food deserts.”  He says, “We have places that people really have to travel a long way if they want to have access to fresh produce or to fresh products from the farm. This helps them and it’s good for agriculture. It’s good for Illinois.”

The grants would be targeted to farms and select food-related businesses with fewer than 50 employees. 

The bill has passed the Senate Agriculture Committee and awaits further consideration in the full Senate. 

AUDIO: IL State Senator Dave Koehler