SENATE RESOLUTION 21

(By Senators Miller, Cline, Stollings, Romano, Unger and Plymale)

[Introduced February 20, 2017]

Designating February 23, 2017, as West Virginia Local Foods Day at the Capitol.

Whereas, The mission of the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition, the West Virginia Farmers Market Association and the West Virginia Farmers’ Cooperative (hereinafter referred to as the alliance) is to build, support and strengthen a statewide network of those involved in West Virginia’s local food economies, with the interconnected goals of improving access to healthy, locally-produced food for all West Virginians and helping viable food and farm businesses to grow; and

Whereas, The alliance is made of farmers, food processors, distributors, agencies, health professionals, extension agents, researchers, nonprofits, farmers markets, youth groups, religious organizations, consumers and institutions that feed people; and

Whereas, The alliance works within its network to change agricultural policy, promote access to local foods, share resources and grow food and farm businesses; and

Whereas, The alliance is enacting a foodshed development program that seeks to build the local food system by developing processes for farmers to establish and scale farm enterprises, efficiently move their product to markets and for consumer-bases to be robustly developed, all with the goal of bolstering the local food economy; and

Whereas, The alliance, with its partners, aids in building and strengthening food and farm businesses and seeks to spur economic growth through building strong local food economies in regional foodshed areas, where food is produced, transported and consumed in West Virginia; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate:

That the Senate hereby designates February 23, 2017, as West Virginia Local Foods Day at the Capitol; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Senate acknowledges the progress the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition, the West Virginia Farmers Market Association and the West Virginia Farmers Cooperative’s networks have made in building strong local food systems, a competitive local food economy and increasing food access in West Virginia; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition, the West Virginia Farmers Market Association and the West Virginia Farmers’ Cooperative.