Bill strengthening local food networks and promoting ‘Oklahoma Grown’ produce heads to floor

OKLAHOMA CITY – With bipartisan approval from the Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee, legislation to encourage and promote more local farming throughout the state, including urban areas, is now headed to the Senate floor. Senate Bill 2061 by Sen. Nikki Nice, D-Oklahoma City, will create the Oklahoma Food Policy Council.

“The ultimate goal is to coordinate efforts related to food policy in this state and strengthen our local food networks. Through SB 2061, we can connect our local producers, farmers, urban gardens, community gardens and farmers markets to make it possible for more Oklahomans to enjoy locally grown, healthy foods,” Nice said.

Under SB 2061, the governor, speaker, and pro tem would each appoint three members to the Oklahoma Food Policy Council, which will advise the Department of Agriculture on creating networks of farmers to provide sustainable, locally grown food, strengthening coordination between existing programs, and assessing the impact of production of sustainable food distributed locally.

“The legislation will help us create stability and remove barriers to growers, drive demand through the promotion of ‘Oklahoma Grown’ produce, and increase visibility and support for locally grown products,” Nice said. “I also believe this program can help Oklahoma address the problem of food access across the state, where residents have low availability of fresh fruit and vegetables. I appreciate the support from members of the committee and the chair, Senator Casey Murdock, and look forward to presenting SB 2061 to the full Senate.”

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For more information, contact:  Sen. Nikki Nice at 405-521-5531 or Nikki.Nice@oksenate.gov