SB 53

Official record

Measure details

Jurisdiction

Delaware

Session

153

Chamber

upper

Classification

bill

Subjects

Not supplied

Introduced / first action

2026-05-19 00:00:00

Alternate titles

• Delaware Farm and Food Council/Farm to Community Program/Codify short title

Source-supplied abstracts

This Act codifies the Delaware Farm and Food Council’s Farm to Community Program as a state-led initiative called the Delaware Farm to Community Program. The Farm to Community Program launched in 2023 under the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA). In 2 ½ growing seasons, the Farm to Community Program has effectively expanded the purchasing power of community outlets to procure local food products from local farmers and distribute the food products to individuals in need or facing food insecurity in Delaware’s urban and rural communities. Through this model, currently, 31 local farmers supply more than 100 varieties of fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products to 9 community outlets that serve 105 food distribution sites. The USDA canceled LFPA funding in 2025. Codifying the Farm to Community Program ensures continuity, strengthens Delaware’s food system infrastructure, increases availability of fresh and healthy seasonal foods, and increases the economic viability of local farmers, particularly small and medium-scale farmers.

Sponsors

• Gerald W. Hocker (primary), primary
• Russell Huxtable (primary), primary
• William J. Carson (primary), primary
• Ronald E. Gray (primary), primary
• Claire Snyder-Hall (primary), primary
• Dave G. Lawson (primary), primary
• Brian Pettyjohn (primary), primary
• Marie Pinkney (primary), primary
• David L. Wilson (primary), primary
• Stell Parker Selby (primary), primary
• Ray Seigfried (primary), primary
• Spiros Mantzavinos (primary), primary
• Lyndon D. Yearick (primary), primary