LD 2086
pg. 2
Page 1 of 6 An Act to Preserve the State's Farm Economy and Heritage Page 3 of 6
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LR 1338
Item 1

 
A.__Outside financial experts to provide services such as
analyzing markets or developing financial data; and

 
B.__Instruction or classroom training in economics and
business planning for the owner or operator of the farm.

 
A services package must be approved by the department before it
is implemented.__The department shall reimburse the selected farm
up to $10,000 for outside services that are contracted as part of
a services package.__The department shall keep an accounting of
direct services provided to a selected farm as part of a services
package__and may not provide more than $5,000 worth of direct
services to the farm without approval by the commissioner.

 
4.__First farmland protection agreement.__A selected farm must
enter into a first 5-year farmland protection agreement with the
department before the department provides direct services or
reimburses the farm for outside services.__The agreement must
provide that the farm will protect the land in agricultural use
from nonagricultural development for the period of the agreement.__
A__selected farm may terminate a first farmland protection
agreement at any time if the farm repays the department for any
direct services or reimbursement for outside services that the
department has provided that farm pursuant to this section.

 
5.__Business plan requirements.__A selected farm must use a
services package to develop a business plan that identifies
changes in farm management practices and investments in equipment
and property that would increase the vitality of the farm.

 
§319.__Investment support

 
1.__Eligibility.__A selected farm that has completed a
business plan pursuant to section 318 is eligible to apply for
funding to implement the plan.

 
2.__Award of funds.__The panel shall develop a competitive
process to determine the farms that receive funds to implement a
business plan.__This determination must be__based upon selection
criteria developed by the department including:

 
A.__The viability of the business plan;

 
B.__The degree of threat to the continuation of agricultural
use of the land due to factors__such as the financial
capacity and current farm management practices of the
applicant and development pressures in the area where the
farm is located; and


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