Legislation to encourage the production of more Connecticut-grown food is under scrutiny.
House bill 5419 would allow farmers to sell “acidified” food products they produce - such as pickles and salsa - directly from their farms or at farmers’ markets.
In addition, current limits on the number of turkeys and chickens poultry farmers can produce yearly would increase to 5,000 and 20,000 respectively.
“Too often, we forget that farming in Connecticut isn’t just a hobby, it’s a multi-billion dollar industry that sustains thousands of jobs throughout the state,” said State Rep. Bryan Hurlburt, who introduced the bill and who serves as vice-chair of the environment committee.
The legislation also establishes a Farm Training Jobs Program through the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.
Some of the instruction topics would include fresh-food processing and packaging, as well as retailing and the use of renewable energy systems.
Another provision redirects federally-collected milk fees to the Connecticut Milk Promotion Board for the purpose of promoting dairy farms and more milk consumption.
The federal government sets milk prices and that Connecticut farmers are now losing as much as a dollar a gallon, based on fast-rising production costs that puts them at a severe disadvantage compared to out-of-state agribusinesses.
There are about 150 dairy farms in the state, a decrease from 210 in 2007 and 500 in 1990.
According to a University of Connecticut report, the dairy industry supports about 4,200 jobs and generates more than $1 billion in annual sales.
