Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1608 By Senator Rodriguez 40-01535A-23 20231608__ Page 1 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. A bill to be entitled 1

An act relating to retail fresh market farm stand 2 signage; creating s. 570.851, F.S.; defining the term 3 “retail fresh market farm stand”; establishing the 4 Fresh From Florida Retail Fresh Market Farm Stand 5 Signage Program within the Department of Agriculture 6 and Consumer Services to provide directional signage 7 for certified retail fresh market farm stands; 8 providing qualification and certification 9 requirements; providing an exception; authorizing the 10 Commissioner of Agriculture to designate certified 11 retail fresh market farm stands as state tourist 12 attractions; requiring the department, in consultation 13 with the Fresh From Florida Retail Fresh Market Farm 14 Stand Advisory Council, to develop uniform directional 15 signage; requiring the Department of Transportation, 16 upon request, to place signage at specified locations; 17 requiring owners and operators of certified retail 18 fresh market farm stands to pay specified fees; 19 requiring the department to adopt rules; providing 20 construction; creating s. 570.8511, F.S.; establishing 21 the Fresh From Florida Retail Fresh Market Farm Stand 22 Advisory Council within the department; providing for 23 council membership, meetings, powers, duties, and 24 procedures; providing an effective date. 25 26 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 27 28

Section

Section 570.851, Florida Statutes, is created to 29 Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1608 40-01535A-23 20231608__ Page 2 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. read: 30 570.851 Fresh From Florida Retail Fresh Market Farm Stand 31 Signage Program.— 32

(1) As used in this section, the term “retail fresh market 33 farm stand” means any facility located on a farm and used to 34 market farm products as those terms are defined in s. 823.14(3). 35

(2) The Fresh From Florida Retail Fresh Market Farm Stand 36 Signage Program is established within the department to provide 37 directional signage for certified retail fresh market farm 38 stands. 39 (3)(

a) To qualify as a certified retail fresh market farm 40 stand, a stand must: 41 1. Offer farm products for sale that are produced on the 42 premises. 43 2. Be open for business at least 4 days a week, 10 months 44 of the year. 45 3. Have an actual growing area of at least 87,120 square 46 feet. 47 4. Offer tours of the growing area located on the premises. 48 5. Display permanent signage on the premises specifying the 49 times for the tours and hours of operation of the agricultural 50 facility. 51 (

b) To participate in the program, the owner or operator of 52 a qualified retail fresh market farm stand must apply to the 53 department to register as a certified retail fresh market farm 54 stand and pay application and registration fees. 55 (

c) To maintain designation as a certified retail fresh 56 market farm stand, a stand must annually meet the requirements 57 under paragraphs (

a) and (b). 58 Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1608 40-01535A-23 20231608__ Page 3 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. (

d) An agricultural facility that produces wine or other 59 agricultural products but does not have a growing area on the 60 property does not qualify for the program. 61 (

e) The commissioner may officially recognize a certified 62 retail fresh market farm stand as a state tourist attraction. 63 (4)(

a) The department, in consultation with the Fresh From 64 Florida Retail Fresh Market Farm Stand Advisory Council, shall 65 develop uniform directional signage bearing a uniform Fresh From 66 Florida retail fresh market farm stand logo and emblem. 67 (

b) Upon request of a certified retail fresh market farm 68 stand, the Department of Transportation shall place directional 69 signage bearing the uniform Fresh From Florida retail fresh 70 market farm stand logo and emblem on the rights-of-way of 71 interstate highways and primary and secondary roads. The owner 72 or operator of the certified retail fresh market farm stand must 73 pay a fee for the signage placement. 74

(5) The department shall adopt rules to implement this 75 section. 76

(6) This

section does not prevent retail fresh market farm 77 stands from qualifying as an agritourism activity as defined in 78 s. 570.86. 79

Section

Section 570.8511, Florida Statutes, is created 80 to read: 81 570.8511 Fresh From Florida Retail Fresh Market Farm Stand 82 Advisory Council.— 83

(1) The Fresh From Florida Retail Fresh Market Farm Stand 84 Advisory Council, an advisory council as defined in s. 20.03(7), 85 is established within the department. The council shall consist 86 of 12 members to be appointed by the commissioner. Initially, 6 87 Florida Senate - 2023 SB 1608 40-01535A-23 20231608__ Page 4 of 4 CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions. members shall be appointed by the commissioner for a 1-year term 88 and 6 members for a 2-year term. Thereafter, members shall be 89 appointed for 2-year terms. 90

(2) The meetings, powers, duties, procedures, and 91 recordkeeping of the advisory council shall be pursuant to s. 92 570.232. 93

(3) The council may annually submit to the commissioner 94 recommendations relating to the Fresh From Florida Retail Fresh 95 Market Farm Stand Signage Program. 96

Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2023. 97