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LRB-5412/1
KP&MCP:amn
January 2020 Special Session
2019 - 2020 LEGISLATURE
February 7, 2020 - Introduced by Committee on Assembly Organization, by
request of Governor Tony Evers. Referred to Committee on Agriculture.
AB3,1,5 1An Act to create 93.01 (17), 93.37, 93.495 and 93.61 of the statutes; relating
2to:
promoting production of value-added agricultural products; creating an
3organic farming education grant program, a grazing education grant program,
4and a farm to fork grant program; providing resource conservation technical
5assistance; granting rule-making authority; and making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer
Protection to provide education and technical assistance related to producing
value-added agricultural products. The bill defines a “value-added agricultural
product” as a farm product that satisfies any of the following: 1) has undergone a
change in physical state; 2) is produced in a manner that enhances its value; 3) is
physically segregated in a manner that enhances its value; 4) is a source of
farm-based or ranch-based renewable energy; or 5) is aggregated and marketed as
a locally produced product. As a part of providing education and assistance related
to producing value-added agricultural products, DATCP must provide education
and assistance related to organic farming practices, collaborate with organic
producers, industry participants, and local organizations that coordinate organic
farming, and stimulate interest and investment in organic production. The bill
authorizes a position in DATCP to perform these duties and also requires DATCP to
provide grants to organic producers, industry participants, and local organizations,
which may be used to provide education and technical assistance related to organic

farming, to help create organic farming plans, and to assist farmers in transitioning
to organic farming. The bill also requires DATCP to provide grants to entities to
provide education and training to farmers about best practices related to grazing.
DATCP is also required under the bill to help farmers market value-added
agricultural products.
In addition, the bill creates a farm to fork program, similar to the existing farm
to school program, to connect entities, other than school districts, that have
cafeterias to nearby farms to provide locally produced foods in meals and snacks, to
help the public develop healthy eating habits, to provide nutritional and agricultural
education, and to improve farmers' incomes and direct access to markets. Under the
bill, DATCP must provide grants to entities for these purposes. The bill authorizes
a position in DATCP to act as a program coordinator for the farm to fork program.
The bill also creates a resource conservation technical assistance program in
DATCP for providing technical assistance to farmers relating to increasing or
maintaining agricultural yields while promoting soil health, water quality, and
regenerative agricultural practices and for providing grants to local governments,
nongovernmental organizations, federally recognized American Indian tribes or
bands, businesses, and individuals. The bill authorizes a position in DATCP to
administer this program.
Finally, the bill authorizes a position in DATCP to serve as a grants coordinator
for grants administered under DATCP's division of agricultural development.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB3,1 1Section 1 . 93.01 (17) of the statutes is created to read:
AB3,2,32 93.01 (17) “Value-added agricultural product” means a farm product that
3satisfies any of the following:
AB3,2,44 (a) The product has undergone a change in physical state.
AB3,2,55 (b) The product is produced in a manner that enhances its value.
AB3,2,66 (c) The product is physically segregated in a manner that enhances its value.
AB3,2,77 (d) The product is a source of farm-based or ranch-based renewable energy.
AB3,2,88 (e) The product is aggregated and marketed as a locally produced farm product.
AB3,2 9Section 2. 93.37 of the statutes is created to read:
AB3,3,4
193.37 Value-added agricultural practices. (1) Value-added products.
2The department shall provide education and technical assistance related to
3promoting and implementing agricultural practices that produce value-added
4agricultural products, including by doing all of the following:
AB3,3,135 (a) Assistance for organic farming practices. Providing education and technical
6assistance related to organic farming practices, including business and market
7development assistance; collaborate with organic producers, industry participants,
8and local organizations that coordinate organic farming; and stimulate interest and
9investment in organic production. From the appropriation under s. 20.115 (3) (a), the
10department shall provide grants to organic producers, industry participants, and
11local organizations that coordinate organic farming. The department may provide
12a grant to an organic producer, industry participant, or local organization under this
13paragraph for any of the following purposes:
AB3,3,1514 1. Providing education and technical assistance related to implementing
15organic farming practices.
AB3,3,1616 2. Helping to create organic farming plans.
AB3,3,1717 3. Assisting farmers to transition to organic farming.
AB3,3,2018 (b) Grazing grants. From the appropriation under s. 20.115 (3) (a), providing
19grants to appropriate entities to provide education and training to farmers about
20best practices related to grazing.
AB3,3,2221 (c) Promotion. Helping producers market value-added agricultural products,
22including products produced through the use of a practice described in s. 93.61.
AB3,3,24 23(2) Rules. The department may promulgate rules for the administration of this
24section.
AB3,3 25Section 3 . 93.495 of the statutes is created to read:
AB3,4,7
193.495 Farm to fork program. (1) Definition. In this section, “ farm to fork
2program” means a program to connect entities that are not school districts and that
3have cafeterias to nearby farms to provide locally produced fresh fruits and
4vegetables, dairy products, and other nutritious, locally produced foods in meals and
5snacks; to help the public develop healthy eating habits; to provide nutritional and
6agricultural education; and to improve farmers' incomes and direct access to
7markets.
AB3,4,12 8(2) Grants. (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.115 (3) (a), the department
9shall provide grants to businesses, universities, hospitals, and other entities that are
10not school districts and that have cafeterias for the creation and expansion of farm
11to fork programs. The department shall give preference to proposals that are
12innovative or that provide models that other entities can adopt.
AB3,4,1613 (b) In providing grants under this section, the department shall promote
14agricultural development and farm profitability by supporting the development and
15adoption of practices and agribusiness opportunities that involve the production of
16value-added agricultural products.
AB3,4,1817 (c) The department may provide funding under this subsection for projects that
18do any of the following:
AB3,4,2119 1. Create, expand, diversify, or promote production, processing, marketing, and
20distribution of food produced in this state for sale to entities in this state other than
21schools.
AB3,4,2422 2. Create, expand, or renovate facilities, including purchases of equipment for
23the facilities, that would ensure the use of food produced in this state in locations in
24this state other than schools.
AB3,5,2
13. Provide, expand, or promote training for food service personnel, farmers, and
2distributors.
AB3,5,33 4. Provide, expand, or promote nutritional and agricultural education.
AB3,5,54 (d) The department shall consult with interested persons to establish grant
5priorities for each fiscal year.
AB3,5,7 6(3) Rules. The department may promulgate rules for the administration of this
7section.
AB3,5,10 8(4) Reports. At least annually, the department shall report to the legislature
9under s. 13.172 (2) and to the secretary on the needs and opportunities for farm to
10fork programs.
AB3,4 11Section 4 . 93.61 of the statutes is created to read:
AB3,5,15 1293.61 Technical assistance on resource conservation. (1) The
13department shall provide technical assistance to farmers relating to increasing or
14maintaining agricultural yields while promoting soil health, water quality, and
15regenerative agricultural practices, including by doing all of the following:
AB3,5,1916 (a) Connecting farmers with technologies or practices that address water
17quality and other environmental sustainability goals, including technologies or
18practices developed by the University of Wisconsin System, private sector
19businesses, and other agricultural producers.
AB3,5,2120 (b) Developing technical resources to assist farmers in promoting soil health,
21water quality, and regenerative agricultural practices.
AB3,5,2222 (c) Providing grants under sub. (2).
AB3,6,3 23(2) (a) From the appropriation under s. 20.115 (7) (a), the department shall
24provide grants to local governments, nongovernmental organizations, federally
25recognized American Indian tribes or bands, businesses, and individuals for

1developing technologies and strategies that support conservation efforts on working
2lands and for developing market-based solutions to environmental and resource
3challenges in modern farming systems.
AB3,6,54 (b) The department may not award a grant under this section of more than
5$25,000.
AB3,6,7 6(3) The department may promulgate rules for the administration of this
7section.
AB3,5 8Section 5 . Fiscal changes.
AB3,6,189 (1) Value-added product specialist. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the
10appropriation to the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection
11under s. 20.115 (3) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2020-21 is increased by
12$70,600 to increase the authorized FTE positions for the department by 1.0 GPR
13position to promote organic farming practices, grazing best practices, and production
14of value-added agricultural products under s. 93.37. In the schedule under s. 20.005
15(3) for the appropriation to the department of agriculture, trade and consumer
16protection under s. 20.115 (3) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2020-21 is
17increased by $20,000 to provide supplies and services for the position authorized
18under this subsection.
AB3,6,2219 (2) Organic farming assistance grants. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for
20the appropriation to the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection
21under s. 20.115 (3) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2020-21 is increased by
22$200,000 for providing assistance for organic farming practices under s. 93.37 (1) (a).
AB3,7,223 (3) Grazing grants. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation
24to the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection under s. 20.115 (3)

1(a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2020-21 is increased by $200,000 to provide
2grants under s. 93.37 (3).
AB3,7,63 (4) Farm to fork program. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the
4appropriation to the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection
5under s. 20.115 (3) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2020-21 is increased by
6$200,000 to provide grants under s. 93.495.
AB3,7,157 (5) Farm to fork program coordinator. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for
8the appropriation to the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection
9under s. 20.115 (3) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2020-21 is increased by
10$71,600 to increase the authorized FTE positions for the department by 1.0 GPR
11position to serve as the coordinator for the grant program under s. 93.495. In the
12schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of agriculture,
13trade and consumer protection under s. 20.115 (3) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal
14year 2020-21 is increased by $16,000 to provide supplies and services for the position
15authorized under this subsection.
AB3,8,216 (6) Grants coordinator. In the schedule under s. 20.005 (3) for the
17appropriation to the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection
18under s. 20.115 (3) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2020-21 is increased by
19$61,700 to increase the authorized FTE positions for the department by 1.0 GPR
20position to serve as a grants coordinator to serve as the primary point of contact of
21all grant programs administered under the department of agriculture, trade and
22consumer protection's division of agricultural development. In the schedule under
23s. 20.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of agriculture, trade and
24consumer protection under s. 20.115 (3) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2020-21

1is increased by $16,000 to provide supplies and services for the position authorized
2under this subsection.
AB3,8,63 (7) Technical assistance on resource conservation. In the schedule under s.
420.005 (3) for the appropriation to the department of agriculture, trade and
5consumer protection under s. 20.115 (7) (a), the dollar amount for fiscal year 2020-21
6is increased by $200,000 to provide funding for the program under s. 93.61.
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