2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 22 - Education
Miscellaneous
Article 82.6 - Farm-to-School Healthy Kids Act
§ 22-82.6-104. Interagency farm-to-school coordination task force - creation

(1) In order to establish a state farm-to-school program in the future, there is hereby created an interagency farm-to-school coordination task force, referred to in this section as the "task force".

(2) (a) The task force consists of fifteen members as follows:

(I) The commissioner of education or the commissioner's designee;

(II) The commissioner of agriculture or the commissioner's designee;

(III) The executive director of the department of public health and environment or the executive director's designee;

(IV) The executive director of the Colorado commission on higher education or the executive director's designee, from, including but not limited to, Colorado universities, colleges, community colleges, and extensions;

(V) The following five members as selected by the member serving pursuant to subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (a):

(A) Three representatives of school food service directors;

(B) A representative of local nonprofit community organizations engaged in farm to school or local food systems; and

(C) A public school teacher or principal;

(VI) The following five members as selected by the member serving pursuant to subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (a):

(A) A representative of fruit and vegetable organizations;

(B) A representative of cattle ranching organizations;

(C) A representative of the western dairy association;

(D) A representative of a food distribution association; and

(E) A representative of a farm, orchard, or ranch in Colorado that sells produce, fruit, or animal products to at least one Colorado public school, school district, or board of cooperative services;

(VII) A representative of school food services management from an institution of higher education, selected by the member serving pursuant to subparagraph (IV) of this paragraph (a); and

(VIII) Any number of nonvoting ex-officio members as designated by a majority vote of the task force.

(b) The members of the task force shall be appointed on or before October 30, 2010.

(c) On or before December 31, 2010, the members serving pursuant to subparagraphs (I) and (II) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (2) shall jointly convene the initial meeting of the task force. At the first meeting, the task force shall elect a chair and vice-chair from the members serving pursuant to subparagraphs (I) to (VI) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (2).

(d) Members of the task force shall serve at the will of the person appointing the member.

(e) Members of the task force shall not be compensated for or reimbursed for their expenses incurred in attending meetings of the task force.

(f) The task force shall meet as often as necessary and may adopt policies and procedures necessary to carry out its duties.

(3) The task force shall study, develop, and recommend policies and methods to best implement a farm-to-school program, including:

(a) Advising farm-to-school program pilots or expanding food focus education program pilots;

(b) Offering assistance in identifying funding sources and grants that allow school districts to recover the cost associated with purchasing locally grown food products;

(c) Identifying, designing, or making available training programs to enable local farmers and ranchers to market their products to school districts, including programs related to crop production, marketing of crops, post-harvest handling of crops, food safety, business management, liability and risk management, contracting for crops, processing of crops, and any other topics deemed appropriate by the task force;

(d) Advising school districts on methods by which a school district may improve facilities to allow for the purchase and use of minimally processed and fresh and locally produced foods in school meals;

(e) Providing assistance to school food services to establish procedures, recipes, menu rotation, proper handling, preparing, storing, and other internal processes that accommodate the use of locally grown foods in public schools;

(f) Exploring various statewide data collection systems to track farm-to-school activities.

(4) The task force shall report its progress, findings, and recommendations to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate, the senate agriculture and natural resources committee, and the house agriculture, livestock, and natural resources committee, or any successor committees, on or before February 1, 2015, and every February 1 every two years thereafter.

(5) Repealed.