The N.C. House agriculture committee passed legislation this afternoon creating a local food advisory board that aims to help small-scale sustainable farmers across the state.
The bill will now go to the House floor for a full vote, and then have to go back to the Senate for concurrence.
The advisory council would be a 27-member body charged with studying increasing local foods served in public schools, how to make local foods available to people receiving public assistance, whether food stamps can be used at farmers markets, how to encourage community and backyard gardening and other issues related to the local food scene. The board will have to prepare a report on its progress for legislature next October.
