Will Help Farm Markets to Compete, Enhance Economic Growth

Legislation co-sponsored by Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) and Senator Anthony Bucco (R-25) to provide economic growth and variety to local farm markets by removing regulatory hurdles when their sell baked goods has passed the Senate Economic Growth Committee.

Senator Pennacchio and Bucco’s legislation to provide economic growth for New Jersey farm markets (Wikimedia Commons)

“By making it easier for farm markets to compete, we can encourage small business and help our farms to remain financially viable,” said Pennacchio. “We sell baked goods by the dozen and pies individually, not by weight. Farm markets should be placed on the same playing field as bakeries and other retail shops, allowing entrepreneurship to flourish.”

New Jersey’s farms depend heavily on healthy crops and can be devastated when harvests are affected by weather or other outside causes. Helping local farm markets to diversify with baked goods offers protections from bad harvests and broadens the scope of a farm market’s consumers.

Under current law, producers of Jersey Fresh products are put at a competitive disadvantage with the requirement that each baked item be individually weighed before being sold at farm markets, unlike products sold at shops and bakeries.

The legislation, S-410, will allow cakes, cookies, desserts, muffins, parties, pies, treats or other baked goods to be sold at farm markets wrapped but unweighted.

“Across New Jersey, farm markets have sprung up providing families with locally made products,” said Bucco. “By making it easier for farmers to diversify their products and sell baked goods, we can continue to enhance our local economies and give communities the ability to have farm-fresh experiences.”

The legislation now heads to the Senate for a vote.