(1)As used in this section, "local food" means an agricultural product that is:
(1)(a) produced, processed, and distributed for sale or consumption within the state; and
(1)(b) sold to an end consumer within the state.
(2)(2)(a) The department shall study the barriers and gaps related to increasing local food availability in the state, including analysis of:
(2)(a)(i) the intrastate food supply chain;
(2)(a)(ii) crop production and optimization;
(2)(a)(iii) the agricultural workforce;
(2)(a)(iv) the capital funding of local food production; and
(2)(a)(v) federal and state regulatory burdens on local food production.
(2)(b) The department shall seek input from a wide range of stakeholders for the study described in Subsection (2)(a), including a diverse group of the state's agricultural p
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(1) As used in this section, "local food" means an agricultural product that is:
(1)(a) produced, processed, and distributed for sale or consumption within the state; and
(1)(b) sold to an end consumer within the state.
(2) (2)(a) The department shall study the barriers and gaps related to increasing local food availability in the state, including analysis of:
(2)(a)(i) the intrastate food supply chain;
(2)(a)(ii) crop production and optimization;
(2)(a)(iii) the agricultural workforce;
(2)(a)(iv) the capital funding of local food production; and
(2)(a)(v) federal and state regulatory burdens on local food production.
(2)(b) The department shall seek input from a wide range of stakeholders for the study described in Subsection (2)(a), including a diverse group of the state's agricultural producers based on geography, operation size. and operation type.
(3) The study described in Subsection (2) shall:
(3)(a) research the production costs and economic impacts for agricultural operators to:
(3)(a)(i) voluntarily seek to implement or explore various crop types, including the production costs to, and economic impacts on, agricultural operators that seek out assistance to incorporate new traditional or alternative crop types into an existing operation; and
(3)(a)(ii) maintain, modernize, and upgrade equipment;
(3)(b) research the barriers to entry associated with careers in agriculture by reviewing:
(3)(b)(i) existing challenges;
(3)(b)(ii) available career development and hiring resources;
(3)(b)(iii) programs in other states that support individuals interested in pursuing careers in agriculture;
(3)(b)(iv) opportunities for new agricultural producers to use the expertise and capital of existing agricultural producers; and
(3)(b)(v) the potential for creating a small farm incubator program;
(3)(c) research gaps in the state's food supply chain with respect to local food, including:
(3)(c)(i) aggregation;
(3)(c)(ii) distribution;
(3)(c)(iii) storage; and
(3)(c)(iv) processing; and
(3)(d) propose potential funding solutions to address the issues identified by the department's research under this Subsection (3), including recommendations for:
(3)(d)(i) potential grant programs;
(3)(d)(ii) potential investment by private capital; and
(3)(d)(iii) available funding from state and federal sources.
(4) (4)(a) The department shall report to the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee at or before the committee's June 2026 interim meeting.
(4)(b) The report described in Subsection (4)(a) shall include:
(4)(b)(i) research findings related to each study item described in Subsection (3); and
(4)(b)(ii) policy solutions related to each study item described in Subsection (3).
(4)(c) The report described in Subsection (4)(a) may include recommendations for legislation and legislative appropriations.