WATCH: Bill signing ceremony for agricultural legislation
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he has signed into law two major pieces of legislation approved by the Connecticut General Assembly this session that encourage growth within Connecticut’s agricultural sector.
The bills include Public Act 25-152, which is known as the “CT Farm Bill” and among its several provisions creates a new tax credit for farmers’ investments in eligible machinery, equipment, and buildings; and Public Act 25-141, which establishes a land access grant program within the Connecticut Department of Agriculture to improve farmers’ access to land.
“Farms are not only a key component of Connecticut’s economy and employ thousands of workers, but they also provide nutritious food that all of us need,” Governor Lamont said. “We know that farmers face many challenges, which can be unpredictable from year-to-year and can have a significant impact on their operations. This legislation is about making sure Connecticut farms grow stronger and continue to support families and our communities. I thank the bipartisan legislators who sent these bills to my desk so that I could sign them into law.”
Public Act 25-152 includes provisions to increase the statewide municipal property farm tax exemption from $100,000 to $250,000 and permits municipalities to offer additional farm property tax exemptions of up to $250,000 on top of the $250,000 statewide exemption. It also provides immunity to agritourism operators for any civil action for personal injury or property damage and exempts hoop houses and high tunnels from building permitting or construction standards. In addition, a section of the bill regulates the use of drones for agricultural purposes, establishes a manure management program to be administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (DOAG), provides for the purchase and operations of shipping container farms to grow food for schools and food pantries, and mandates that anyone selling soil amendments must register annually with DOAG.
Public Act 25-141 authorizes DOAG to establish and administer a grant program to preserve farmland and increase farmer access to land. Land access is the top barrier to entry for new and beginning farmers in Connecticut and the Lamont administration has made significant progress in expanding access to farmland. The passage of this legislation builds upon that momentum.
“Agriculture is deeply rooted in Connecticut’s history and the CT Farm Bill and farmland access bill are the latest wins for agriculture under the Lamont administration’s thoughtful leadership,” Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt said. “Since 2019, we’ve invested tens of millions in farms, families, and food — and this legislation gives us the tools to sustain a vibrant, diverse ag sector and protect the land we need to do it. I’m also deeply grateful to the farmers and stakeholders who voiced their support, and to the General Assembly for recognizing that a strong ag economy means a strong state economy.”
Legislators from both parties came together to champion these bills through, in particular Public Act 25-152.
“Agriculture in Connecticut brings in billions of dollars of revenue to the state every single year and is responsible for tens of thousands of jobs,” State Senator Cathy Osten said. “When I was younger, my parents ran a family restaurant in eastern Connecticut, and we would buy our corn, eggs, milk and meat from local farms. This bill provides a mechanism for dealing with the costs of running a farm, and if we can drive down those costs, we can drive down the costs to consumers. This bill has been a dream of mine to accomplish, and I’m so excited that my colleagues joined me because any legislative victory is never one person, it’s done with a team and a group of people. And this was a bipartisan bill, supported on both sides of the aisle.”
In addition to bipartisan support, the bills received significant support from industry stakeholders and farmers, many of whom were present for the bill signing.
“Public Act 25-152 will have a positive impact on Connecticut farms for generations to come and will touch almost every farm in the state,” Paul Larson, president of the Connecticut Farm Bureau Association, said.
“The cost and availability of farmland continues to be the number one challenge for both beginning and existing farmers,” Kip Kolesinskas, chair of the Working Lands Alliance, said. “Public Act 25-141 will provide a grant program for the Connecticut Department of Agriculture to fully utilize the creativity and commitment of our land trusts and municipalities to protect more farmland and increase the affordability by using new and innovative tools. The Working Lands Alliance thanks our citizens, legislators, Commissioner Hurlburt, and Governor Lamont for their vision and actions to make this happen.”