(505 ILCS 84/15)
Sec. 15. Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Plan. The Task Force shall develop a plan containing policy and funding recommendations for expanding and supporting a State local and organic food system and for assessing and overcoming obstacles to an increase in locally grown food and local organic food production. The Task Force shall prepare and submit its plan in a report to the General Assembly by September 30, 2008, for consideration of its recommendations in the 96th General Assembly. The Plan, among other matters, shall:
(a) identify land preservation and acquisition
opportunities for local and organic agriculture in rural, suburban, and urban areas;
(b) identify farmer training and development, as
necessary, by expanding training programs such as Farm Beginnings, incubator projects such as Prairie Crossing Farm, urban agriculture training programs, farmer-to-farmer learning opportunities, or other programs;
(c) identify financial incentives, technical support,
and training necessary to help Illinois farmers to transition to local, organic, and specialty crop production by minimizing their financial losses during the 3-year transition period required under USDA standards and to help with recordkeeping requirements;
(d) identify strategies and funding needs to make
fresh and affordable Illinois-grown foods more accessible, both in rural and urban communities, with an emphasis on creating new food outlets in communities that need them;
(e) identify the financial and technical support
necessary to build connections between landowners, farmers, buyers, and consumers;
(f) identify the financial and technical support
necessary to build a local food infrastructure of processing, storage, and distribution;
(g) identify the financial and technical support
necessary to develop new food and agriculture-related businesses for local food and organic food production and distribution, such as on-farm processing, micro-markets, incubator kitchens, and marketing and communications businesses;
(h) identify the financial and technical support
necessary to expand the development of farmers markets, roadside markets, and local grocery stores in unserved and underserved areas, as well as the creation of year-round public markets in Chicago and other large communities;
(i) research, identify, and coordinate best practices
and opportunities for the development of local food and organic food production;
(j) identify opportunities to educate the public and
producers about the benefits of local foods systems and about the development opportunities provided through this Act; and
(k) identify legal impediments to local food and
organic food production, and develop recommendations for a remedy.
(Source: P.A. 95-145, eff. 8-14-07.)
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Last modified: February 18, 2015