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Advocates, farmers and school nutrition officials urge committee to keep state food‑nutrition programs in Department of Agriculture
Summary
A5150, a measure to transfer the State Division of Food and Nutrition to Human Services and appropriate $128.24M for farmland preservation, drew sustained opposition from school nutrition leaders, farm groups and farmers who said moving the division would sever important farm‑to‑school ties; committee nevertheless reported the bill with several members expressing concern.
Assembly Bill 5150, considered Dec. 16 by the Appropriations Committee, would transfer the State Division of Food and Nutrition out of the Department of Agriculture and appropriate $128,241,000 for farmland preservation purposes. The proposal drew extended testimony from school nutrition officials, farm groups, farmers and farm‑to‑school advocates who warned the move could disrupt established agricultural connections and federal funding administration.
Keith Leader, president of the New Jersey School Nutrition Association, said the division’s placement in the Department of Agriculture allows school meal programs to align with state agricultural priorities and to leverage federal funds that flow to agriculture and schools. "We firmly believe that the Department of Agriculture is uniquely positioned to align with our mission to provide food that is delicious and healthy to as many students across the state as possible," Leader said.
Farm Bureau representative Ashley Kerr and farmers on the State Board of Agriculture testified that the division’s work supports farm viability, local purchasing and farm‑to‑school programs that have expanded markedly in recent years. Beth Phehan, a Farm to School Network co‑founder and former NJDA program coordinator, said her company sold a record share of local product to schools this fall and warned that moving the division to a department "that does not have anything to do with food" would be a mistake.
Committee members asked whether the administration engaged with stakeholders and requested data; witnesses said the proposal surfaced quickly and urged more consultation. Despite the objections, the committee voted to report the bill. Several members said they would move the bill but expressed reservations and requested additional information from sponsors before any further action.
What happens next: The bill advances in the legislative process; opponents signaled they will press for additional briefings, data and amendments to preserve farm‑to‑school ties if the transfer proceeds.
