Texas Farm-to-Table Caucus

Texas Legislature Grants Big Win to Small Farmers Local vendors are thrilled; SB 932 heads for Gov. Abbott’s desk

UPDATE: Permit Fee Caps (SB 932) passed unanimously out of the House on 3rd reading this afternoon!

See the record vote here: https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=86R&Bill=SB932

Now, Permit Fee Caps (SB 932) just has to be signed by Governor Abbott to become law.

Tomorrow, we are looking forward to the Senate's vote on the Local Better Communications Bill (HB 2107) by State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione: https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=86R&Bill=HB2107

The Local Better Communications Bill (HB 2107) requires local health departments to answer farmers’ & food businesses’ questions about what the law requires by responding to their written requests for information within 30 days, and prevents producers from being fined if their inspector comes up with a different interpretation.

We are deeply grateful to Rep. Capriglione for carrying the Local Better Communications Bill, one of our top legislative priorities for the 86th Legislative Session. Thank you, Representative!

Texas Farm-to-Table Caucus Send a message to learn more

With less than 2 weeks left, the 86th Legislative Session is shaping up to be one of the most successful sessions for local foods EVER!

It's important not to count your chickens before they hatch here in the Texas Capitol, but 6 of the bills that we strongly support as a caucus - including ALL 3 of our legislative priorities - are on track to pass before the Texas Legislature adjourns "sine die" on Monday, May 27.

Today, the "Permit Fee Cap" bill (SB 932) by State Rep. Terry Wilson/Senator Bryan Hughes will be voted on by the full Texas House of Representatives. We have been working on this bill with the Sustainable Food Center, Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA) and many others for several months and can't wait for today's vote! If the bill passes on 3rd reading today, the next step will be for it to be signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott.

SB 932 would protect small farmers and other local food producers from excessive fees by limiting the permit fees imposed by local health departments on farmers selling directly to consumers and other farmers’ market vendors at $100 annually per jurisdiction: https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=86R&Bill=SB932

See below for more information about SB 932. Thank you to FARFA for the helpful fact sheet! We recommend checking out their bill tracking page here: http://farmandranchfreedom.org/texas-legislative-session-bill-tracking/

Stay tuned for updates over the next month. We will be posting more regularly as we work hard to get these bills over the finish line.

Texas Farm-to-Table Caucus Send a message to learn more

State Representative Stan Lambert (R-Abilene) - a champion for Texas's small and family farms, ranches and other food producers - laid out the Farmers' Markets Sampling Bill (HB 1694) before the House Committee on Public Health yesterday.

The Farmers' Markets Sampling Bill is one of the bipartisan Texas Farm-to-Table Caucus's top legislative priorities for the 86th Legislative Session.

About HB 1694: https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=86R&Bill=HB1694

"Sampling permits and fees impose a significant burden on farmers’ market vendors. Sampling is an important way to draw customers to a farmers’ market booth and introduce them to a new type of food, or demonstrate how delicious a piece of fruit is despite outer appearances. But farmers’ market vendors’ profit margins are very slim, and the fees - some as high as $80 every two weeks - can effectively prohibit this activity.

"In 2013, the Texas Legislature passed HB 1382 (House vote 137-0, Senate vote 30-1), establishing common-sense sanitary standards for providing samples at a farmers’ market. The intent was that producers who met those standards could provide samples at their booths, with no further requirements.

"Unfortunately, while some local health departments have complied with the language and intention of HB 1382 [with no reported problems], others have not.

"HB 1694 by Representative Stan Lambert and SB 789 by Senator Nathan Johnson [one of our allies in the Texas Senate] reduce the burdens imposed on small farmers and food businesses selling at farmers’ markets, without changing any public health standards or protections. The bills clarify that a farmers’ market vendor need only comply with the sanitation standards set out in Section 437.020 of the Health & Safety Code, and explicitly prevents DSHS or local health departments from requiring a permit or imposing fees or additional requirements on the farmers’ market vendor for the simple act of sampling their foods."

Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, Chair of the bipartisan Farm-to-Table Caucus, announced our agenda for the 86th Legislative Session this morning on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives:

"In the 86th Legislative Session, the Farm-to-Table Caucus will be building on our past successes in collaboration with the small and family farms, ranches and other food producers from across Texas who have informed our agenda.

"Our major legislative accomplishments include passing the Texas Cottage Food Law (HB 970), Farmers Market Sampling Bill (HB 1382) and DSHS Better Communications Bill (HB 1392) in the 83rd Legislative Session. Since then, we have heard from countless stakeholders that these bills created opportunities for food entrepreneurs to launch sustainable small businesses where unnecessary, burdensome and/or confusing regulations previously acted as barriers to entry. Unfortunately, Texas continues to lag behind other states in this regard.

"Our legislative priorities for the 86th Legislative Session include accomplishing a reasonable expansion of the Texas Cottage Food Law and fixing the 'pickle' issue (Rodriguez - HB 2108/Kolkhorst - SB 572), allowing responsible food producers to conduct sampling at their farmers market booths without additional burdensome or restrictive permits (Lambert - HB 1694/Johnson - SB 789) and encouraging timely, effective communication between food producers and the local health departments whose food regulations they are legally required to comply with (Capriglione - HB 2107)."

Adopt-A-Mule: Fort Hood military mule searching for forever home A Fort Hood military mule is looking for a forever home.

ICYMI: The Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance is hosting the Raise Your Voice tour to give farmers, cottage food makers and other producers the opportunity to share their stories and discuss the issues they care about most.

The program features a listening session along with training to teach food producers and concerned citizens how to impact policy and make a difference in the agriculture industry.

Click below to find an event near you ↓

http://farmandranchfreedom.org/raise-your-voice

"In Texas, we have over 120,000 female farmers working 43 million acres, making up 33% of Texas farmers, with an $818 million economic impact."

Meet a few of the Texas women working the land, raising animals and growing delicious food in the Lone Star State through photographer Nora Chovanec's beautiful portraits for the Texas Farmers’ Market’s Women in Agriculture project.

Visit http://texasfarmersmarket.org/texas-farmers-markets-women-in-agriculture/ to purchase your very own TFM Women in Agriculture 2018 Desk Calendar and support farmers and ranchers in Central Texas.

Ever considered selling homemade food?

The Texas Legislature passed a cottage food law in 2011 that has empowered food entrepreneurs across the state to sell their goods to local consumers, at farmers markets, at city festivals, at bake sales and elsewhere. Texas Baker's Bill

Click below to learn more ↓

Checklist for Cottage Food Operations in Texas Step-by-step how to start a cottage food business or home bakery in Texas.

The Farm to Work initiative is an "employee wellness and Farm Direct marketing project that connects local farmers with employees at partner worksites" overseen by the Sustainable Food Center. They provide healthy alternatives to traditional office snacks straight from a local farm.

Click below to learn more about Farm to Work and see how you can get fresh fruits and veggies in your office.

Farm to Work Farm to Work is an employee wellness and Farm Direct marketing project that connects local farmers with employees at partner worksites. Farmers deliver local fruits and vegetables directly to the workplace.

Farmers markets are great places to buy fresh, delicious food and get to know your local producers. Click below to find a farmers market certified by the Texas Department of Agriculture near you ↓

http://www.gotexan.org/LocateGOTEXAN/CertifiedFarmersMarkets.aspx

Certified Farmers Markets GO TEXAN

"Come May, the produce floodgates open: Time for berries, peaches, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and more — the heart and soul of North Texas produce."

Ready for warmer weather and fresh produce? So are we! Meet 5 Dallas farmers who are passionate about local, sustainable food.

Meet five North Texas farmers who are changing the way we eat Where do your peaches, eggs and steak actually come from? Here are the local Texas farmers who are bringing fresh crops and more to area farmers markets