H.B. 879
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Apr 25, 2023
SESSION 2023 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
H D
HOUSE BILL DRH10425-MH-109
Short Title: Healthy and Sustainable Food Distribution. (Public)
Sponsors: Representative T. Brown.
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO INCENTIVIZE HEALTHY FOOD AND TO ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT
3 HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS FOR NORTH
4 CAROLINA FARMERS AND CONSUMERS.
5 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
6 SECTION 1. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of State
7 Budget and Management the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for
8 the 2023-2024 fiscal year to provide a directed grant to Carolina Farm Trust, a nonprofit
9 organization, to support an initiative to rebuild a decentralized food system from production to
10 consumption focused on health/nutrition and sustainability. The Carolina Farm Trust shall use
11 the funds appropriated by this section for the following initiatives:
12 (1) Farm Apprentice Program. – Funds will be utilized to establish and develop
13 career paths into regional agriculture, broaden the agricultural labor force
14 through academic and practical experiences and job placements, create and
15 deploy traveling teams to support rural farmers with infrastructure projects,
16 and provide support to rural farmers in case of emergencies such as sickness
17 or severe weather events.
18 (2) Food as Health Program. – Funds will be allocated to address chronic health
19 issues and build healthier communities, create relationships with communities
20 through trained community health workers, create affordable and easy to
21 access produce for consumers, and establish a database to collect volunteer
22 health information from consumers that will help community health workers
23 navigate and address the holistic needs of participants.
24 (3) Agriculture Distribution Platform. – Funds will be allocated to develop
25 affordable access points to all communities to build and support a resilient
26 regional food economy, construct a 3,000 sq. ft. regional kitchen with a
27 learning kitchen and event space, and increase the number of regional meat
28 processing facilities and enhance regional supply chains to support
29 farm-to-institution sales by small farmers.
30 SECTION 2. This act is effective July 1, 2023.
*DRH10425-MH-109*