Recording! 2025 Agricultural Policy Forum

On January 3, the NH Food Alliance and the Monadnock Farm & Community Coalition held the 2025 NH Agricultural Policy Forum as part of its monthly Network Café part of their 2024-2025 Network Café Series. In preparation for the 2025 legislative session, we were joined by New Hampshire’s most well-informed food policy minds as they provided insights on the state level legislation being considered this session and shared what individuals, communities, organizations, and businesses can do to get involved in the legislative process and support positive change in our food system.

Theresa Walker, of the Durham Agricultural Commission, spoke about HB 339 (relative to municipal master plans), a legislative change proposed by Representative Peter Bixby after consulting the Land Use Planning brief part of the NH Food and Agriculture Strategic Plan. The bill will add agriculture as a land use and activity to be addressed by municipal master plans, encouraging the development of farm-friendly land use regulations and elevating the importance of increasing local food production, consumption, and protecting farmland.

Amanda Littleton, of the Cheshire County Conservation District, spoke about HB 246-FN-A (directing the state conservation committee to implement the conservation district climate resilience grant program and making an appropriation therefor), legislation that will support the NH Conservation Districts Climate Resilience Grant. The grant supports farmers in pursuing climate resilient practices and project.

A special bill hearing update! One of the bills covered during the forum, HB 246-FN-A (directing the state conservation committee to implement the conservation district climate resilience grant program and making an appropriation therefor) which will provide state funding for the conservation districts' NH Climate Resilience grant program, is scheduled for a hearing on January 23 in the House Finance Committee. Voice your opinion by signing into the bill hearing and officially noting your support or opposition to this bill and view contact information for representatives on the House Finance Committee if you'd prefer to contact them directly.

Rob Johnson, the Policy Director for the NH Farm Bureau Federation, and Julie Davenson, the President of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire (NOFA-NH) spoke about multiple policy priorities and proposed bills on behalf of their organizations and the farmers they represent, including the state budget and its effects on the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food and legislation in support of a Granite Stater's right to clean air, water, and other natural resources.

Please view the full recording of the January Network Café below. Feel free to follow along with the recording using the the Network Café agenda here and the slide presentation here. And if you attended the Network Café and did not take the evaluation, please respond here.

For more information about legislation shared during the café, go to the NH General Court website and use New Future's guide to the NH Legislature to follow the legislative process.
 

The next Network Café in the series will be on Friday, February 7 from 12-1PM. We will be hosting the Henry P. Kendall Foundation to speak about the Kendall Food Vision Prize and how more of New Hampshire's schools and organizations can apply for the funding opportunity. Register and get more details here