§ 4724. Food Systems Administrator

(a) The position of Food Systems Administrator is established in the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets for the purpose of assisting Vermont producers in increasing their access to commercial markets and institutions, including schools, registered or licensed child care providers, State and municipal governments, and hospitals.

(b) The duties of the Food Systems Administrator shall include:

(1) working with institutions, schools, the Agency of Education, registered or licensed child care providers, distributors, producers, commercial markets, and others to create matchmaking opportunities that increase the number of Vermont institutions that purchase foods grown or produced in Vermont;

(2) coordinating funding and providing support to the farm-to-school and farm-to-institutions programs within the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, and coordinating with interested parties to access funding or create matchmaking opportunities across the supply chain that increase participation in those programs;

(3) encouraging and facilitating State employee access and awareness of opportunities for purchasing local food, including enrollment in a local community supported agriculture (CSA) organization, purchasing from local farm stands, and participation in a farmers' market;

(4) developing a database of producers and potential purchasers and enhancing the Agency's and partners' ability to improve and support local foods coordination through the use of information technology; and

(5) providing technical support to local communities with their food security efforts.

(c) The Food Systems Administrator, working with the Commissioner of Buildings and General Services pursuant to rules adopted under 29 V.S.A. § 152(a)(14), shall:

(1) encourage and facilitate awareness of and opportunities to procure healthy local foods by State employees through the use of approved advertisements and solicitations on State-owned property; and

(2) implement guidelines for the appropriate use of State property for employee participation in CSA organizations, including reasonable restrictions on the time, place, and manner of solicitations, advertisements, deliveries, and related activities to ensure the safety and welfare of State property and its occupants.

(d) The Food Systems Administrator shall administer a local foods grant program, the purpose of which shall be to provide grants to allow Vermont producers to increase their access to commercial and institutional markets.