Bill > A805

This bill establishes the "New Farmers Improvement Grant Program" in the Department of Agriculture to provide matching grants of $15,000 to $50,000 to beginning farmers in New Jersey. The grants can be used for projects that diversify agricultural production, implement sustainable farming practices, or create partnerships to improve product processing and distribution. To be eligible, a farmer must be 18 or older, be a "beginning farmer" (someone new to farming or with less than 10 years of experience), have a farm of 150 acres or less located in New Jersey, and have at least $10,000 in annual gross sales from agricultural products. The Department of Agriculture must request at least $100,000 annually to fund the program and seek additional federal, state, and private funding.