STATEHOUSE – Local Paoli FFA students will be able to continue selling pork and lettuce to their school cafeteria thanks to a new law authored by State Rep. Steve Davisson (R-Salem).
Davisson said local FFA students at Paoli Junior-Senior High School are raising hogs and growing hydroponic lettuce to sell their products to the school cafeteria, but hit a roadblock because of certain state requirements. To help, Davisson authored a new law that allows schools and agricultural education programs to work together without going through a formal state procurement process for food purchases up to $7,500 each year.
“This new law removes obstacles for students who want to gain experiences they can use for the rest of their lives, which could also possibly launch them into an agricultural career,” Davisson said. “This will hopefully encourage more schools around the state to create similar programs that provide students with real-world skills and healthier meals.”
Davisson said that without this law, the procurement process would need to be open to wholesale distributors, and the FFA group would not be able to compete against them in order to sell their food to the school cafeteria.
House Enrolled Act 1119 goes into effect July 1, 2021. To learn more about new laws signed into law by the governor, visit in.gov/gov/newsroom/2021-bill-watch/.
