Sen. Nice wins approval for bill strengthening local food networks and promoting ‘Oklahoma Grown’ produce

OKLAHOMA CITY – A bill to encourage and promote more local farming throughout the state, including urban areas, has been approved by the full Senate. Sen. Nikki Nice, D-Oklahoma City, is the author of Senate Bill 2061, creating the Oklahoma Food Policy Council.

“Through SB 2061, we can connect our local producers, farmers, urban gardens, community gardens and farmers markets to help more Oklahomans enjoy locally grown, healthy foods,” Nice said. “It’s good for our local economy and for promoting better health in our state.”

Under SB 2061, the governor, speaker, and pro tem would each appoint three members to the Oklahoma Food Policy Council, with the Langston University Cooperative Extension Service and the Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service each appointing one member as well. The council 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.

“We want to 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. “The program can also help Oklahoma address the problem of food access across the state, where residents have low availability of fresh fruit and vegetables.”

SB 2061 now crosses over to the House for further consideration. Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton, is the principal House author of the measure.

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