A bill sponsored by State Sen. Brian Buchanan (R-Lebanon) that would allow schools to purchase food produced by youth agricultural education programs unanimously passed the Indiana Senate last week.
House Bill 1119 would allow public schools to purchase food from youth agricultural education programs in Indiana, like FFA, to sell up to $7,500 of food products per fiscal year to public schools. This would not prohibit these student programs from selling additional inventory to other institutions and individuals in the community.
"Many FFA chapters and 4-H clubs across the state raise livestock and grow produce each year," Buchanan said. "HB 1119 would allow these groups to provide fresh products to local school cafeterias, giving Hoosier students a greater opportunity to learn about supply and demand, creating a competitive advantage and other business concepts."
HB 1119 will now return to the Indiana House of Representatives for further review.
