Florida Senate - 2022 SB 1212
By Senator Polsky
29-00913-22 20221212__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to roadside farm stand signage;
3 creating s. 570.851, F.S.; defining the term “roadside
4 farm stand”; establishing the Fresh From Florida
5 Roadside Farm Stand Signage Program within the
6 Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to
7 provide directional signage for certified roadside
8 farm stands; providing qualification and certification
9 requirements; providing an exception; authorizing the
10 Commissioner of Agriculture to designate certified
11 roadside farm stands as state tourist attractions;
12 requiring the department, in consultation with the
13 Fresh From Florida Roadside Farm Stand Advisory
14 Council, to develop uniform directional signage;
15 requiring the Department of Transportation, upon
16 request, to place signage at specified locations;
17 requiring owners and operators of certified roadside
18 farm stands to pay specified fees; requiring the
19 department to adopt rules; providing construction;
20 creating s. 570.8511, F.S.; establishing the Fresh
21 From Florida Roadside Farm Stand Advisory Council
22 within the department; providing for council
23 membership, meetings, powers, duties, and procedures;
24 providing an effective date.
25
26 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
27
28 Section 1. Section 570.851, Florida Statutes, is created to
29 read:
30 570.851 Fresh From Florida Roadside Farm Stand Signage
31 Program.—
32 (1) As used in this section, the term “roadside farm stand”
33 means any facility located on a farm and used to market farm
34 products as those terms are defined in s. 823.14(3).
35 (2) The Fresh From Florida Roadside Farm Stand Signage
36 Program is established within the department to provide
37 directional signage for certified roadside farm stands.
38 (3)(a) To qualify as a certified roadside farm stand, a
39 stand must:
40 1. Offer farm products for sale that are produced on the
41 premises.
42 2. Be open for business at least 4 days a week, 10 months
43 of the year.
44 3. Have an actual growing area of at least 87,120 square
45 feet.
46 4. Offer tours of the growing area located on the premises.
47 5. Display permanent signage on the premises specifying the
48 times for the tours and hours of operation of the agricultural
49 facility.
50 (b) To participate in the program, the owner or operator of
51 a qualified roadside farm stand must apply to the department to
52 register as a certified roadside farm stand and pay application
53 and registration fees.
54 (c) To maintain designation as a certified roadside farm
55 stand, a stand must annually meet the requirements under
56 paragraphs (a) and (b).
57 (d) An agricultural facility that produces wine or other
58 agricultural products but does not have a growing area on the
59 property does not qualify for the program.
60 (e) The commissioner may officially recognize a certified
61 roadside farm stand as a state tourist attraction.
62 (4)(a) The department, in consultation with the Fresh From
63 Florida Roadside Farm Stand Advisory Council, shall develop
64 uniform directional signage bearing a uniform Fresh From Florida
65 roadside farm stand logo and emblem.
66 (b) Upon request of a certified roadside farm stand, the
67 Department of Transportation shall place directional signage
68 bearing the uniform Fresh From Florida roadside farm stand logo
69 and emblem on the rights-of-way of interstate highways and
70 primary and secondary roads. The owner or operator of the
71 certified roadside farm stand must pay a fee for the signage
72 placement.
73 (5) The department shall adopt rules to implement this
74 section.
75 (6) This section does not prevent roadside farm stands from
76 qualifying as an agritourism activity as defined in s. 570.86.
77 Section 2. Section 570.8511, Florida Statutes, is created
78 to read:
79 570.8511 Fresh From Florida Roadside Farm Stand Advisory
80 Council.—
81 (1) The Fresh From Florida Roadside Farm Stand Advisory
82 Council, an advisory council as defined in s. 20.03(7), is
83 established within the department. The council shall consist of
84 12 members to be appointed by the commissioner. Initially, 6
85 members shall be appointed by the commissioner for a 1-year term
86 and 6 members for a 2-year term. Thereafter, members shall be
87 appointed for 2-year terms.
88 (2) The meetings, powers, duties, procedures, and
89 recordkeeping of the advisory council shall be pursuant to s.
90 570.232.
91 (3) The council may annually submit to the commissioner
92 recommendations relating to the Fresh From Florida Roadside Farm
93 Stand Signage Program.
94 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.