Supporting Alaskan Agriculture
The Kenai Peninsula has a deep-rooted farming history that is woven into the fabric of our community. We know that growing our own food is a responsible and healthy thing to do. On a larger scale, buying food from local farmers is a boost for the local economy and puts tasty and nutritious food on our plates.
Encouraging farming on the Kenai and across the state is crucial. Because of Alaska’s long food supply chain, we're only one crisis away from a statewide food shortage. I care a great deal about food security. I am thankful to have a seat on the Alaska Food Strategy Task Force and look to advancing policies that encourage local farmers to grow food.
As a first step toward stimulating food production, I’m introducing a bill to improve Alaska’s property tax incentives for farms that produce food. The current program needs to be updated to meet the needs of today’s farmer. My bill will allow structures on farm use land to be assessed at the lower farm rate and will adjust the qualifying requirements of a farm to match those set by the US government. This change, inspired by insights from the Task Force and farmers on the Kenai Peninsula, will make it more practical for farms to thrive and it will encourage new farms to enter the marketplace. I look forward to seeing all of what our Alaskan farmers can do!
|
