Committee debates requiring disclosure of past state investments on farm disaster-aid applications; Agency of Agriculture briefs on RAPs

Members of a legislative committee discussed adding a requirement that applicants for farm disaster aid disclose prior state grants or loans, and received a detailed briefing from the Agency of Agriculture on the agency's Accepted Agricultural Practices (RAPs) and how those rules intersect with municipal oversight, water quality, tile drainage and wetlands.

The most immediate issue was an amendment to S.60 proposing that the secretary have access to a list of prior state investments in a farm when deciding disaster-relief or emergency loan applications. Edie Granning of Jericho, speaking in support of a limited disclosure, said the change “makes perfect sense to limit that there” to grants or loans tied to the farming business. Committee members asked legislative counsel to add two or three words to limit any list to “purposes of the farm business” and agreed to revisit the amendment before the end of the day.

The committee then heard from Laura DiPietro, director of water…