2. a. The Department of Agriculture shall develop a “New Jersey Farm to School Program” and a “New Jersey Agricultural Literacy Program” and, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C. 52:14B-1 et seq.), adopt rules and regulations for its implementation, including, but not necessarily limited to, rules and regulations that:

(1) provide encouragement for schools that participate in school meal programs to expand or improve their kitchen facilities to allow for the daily production of meals that incorporate more fresh, locally grown or produced farm produce, fruit or other products;

(2) establish a bidding matrix that provides for school purchases of New Jersey-grown food and allows schools to adopt price preferences for local agricultural and farm products;

(3) in conjunction and cooperation with the Department of Education, provide for the incorporation and coordination of school curricula with information about:

(a) New Jersey agriculture;

(b) the importance and significance of farms and farmers to New Jersey’s economy, culture, history, and quality of life; and

(c) the health value of eating fresh farm foods and locally grown produce and fruits; and

(4) encourage additional classroom activities during “New Jersey Agricultural Literacy Week”, which may include, but need not be limited to, personal stories from volunteers which may include farmers.

b. The Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the Department of Education, shall develop a training program with emphasis on the theme of “Farm to School” and shall offer this program to schools, teachers, and other event providers.

c. (1) The Department of Agriculture shall establish a “New Jersey Farm to School” website that shall be designed to:

(a) provide opportunities for the establishment of purchasing networks between and among farmers, distributors, and schools or school districts;

(b) facilitate the development and refinement of promotional events in association with “Jersey Fresh Farm to School Week” and “New Jersey Agricultural Literacy Week”; and

(c) provide for the dissemination of information about, and the website-based promotion of, these and other related events.

The department shall include on the “New Jersey Farm to School” website a copy of any public contract or other written agreement for the purchase of fresh foods and the provision thereof to school children, which has been entered into and successfully implemented by any school or school district in the State.

(2) The department shall post, in a prominent location on the homepage of its Internet website, a hyperlink that provides visitors with direct access to the “New Jersey Farm to School” website established pursuant to this subsection.

L.2011, c.10, s.2; amended 2014, c.37; 2023, c.51, s.2.