Virginia HB 1169

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Office of Small Farms and Virginia Small Farms Fund established; report. Creates, within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Office of Small Farms, headed by the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The bill authorizes the Office to facilitate the growth and development of small farms, as defined in the bill, in the Commonwealth and support and expand programs for such farms. The bill creates the Virginia Small Farms Fund to provide funding to administer the provisions of the bill. The bill requires the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Resources to submit a written report on the operation of the Office by December 1 of each year to the Chairmen of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources.