(a) For purposes of this section, “farm products” means products resulting from the practice of agriculture or farming, as defined in section 1-1 and “Connecticut-Grown” means produce and other farm products that have a traceable point of origin within Connecticut.

(b) Only farm products grown or produced in Connecticut shall be advertised or sold in Connecticut as “Connecticut-Grown”. Farm products grown or produced in Connecticut may be advertised or sold in Connecticut as “Native”, “Native-Grown”, “Local” or “Locally-Grown”. Farm products grown or produced within a ten-mile radius of the point of sale for such farm products may be advertised or sold in Connecticut as “Native”, “Native-Grown”, “Local”, or “Locally-Grown”. Any person, firm, partnership or corporation advertising farm products as “Native”, “Native-Grown”, “Local”, “Locally-Grown”, or “Connecticut-Grown” shall be required to furnish written proof within ten days of the sale of such products that such products were grown or produced in Connecticut or within a ten-mile radius of the point of sale, as applicable, if requested to do so by the Commissioner of Agriculture or said commissioner's designee. Any person who violates any provision of this subsection shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars for each product label in violation of this subsection.

(c) In addition to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, any person who sells any farm product as “Connecticut-Grown” at a farmers' market in this state shall offer such product for sale in the immediate proximity of a sign that is: (1) Readily visible to consumers, (2) not less than three inches by five inches in size, and (3) in a form that is substantially as follows:

THIS FARM PRODUCT IS CONNECTICUT-GROWN. THIS FARM PRODUCT WAS GROWN OR PRODUCED BY THE FOLLOWING PERSON OR BUSINESS: (INSERT NAME AND ADDRESS OF PERSON OR BUSINESS).

The lettering on any such sign shall be of a size, font or print that is clearly and easily legible. Such a sign shall accompany each type of farm product that any such person sells as “Connecticut-Grown”. Any person who violates the provisions of this subsection shall receive a warning for the first violation and for any subsequent violation shall be fined one hundred dollars for each violation.

(1949 Rev., S. 3076; 1949, S. 1705d; 1959, P.A. 412, S. 13; P.A. 85-204, S. 7, 14; P.A. 92-45, S. 1; P.A. 02-45, S. 1; P.A. 03-161, S. 1; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e); P.A. 04-109, S. 5; P.A. 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 08-13, S. 5; P.A. 15-245, S. 1; P.A. 16-89, S. 3.)

History: 1959 act replaced commissioner of agriculture with commissioner of consumer protection; P.A. 85-204 transferred authority from the commissioner of consumer protection to the commissioner of agriculture; P.A. 02-45 replaced “Connecticut-Grown” with “Local, Locally-Grown”, replaced “in Connecticut” with “within the specified region” and included provision to allow products produced within a ten-mile radius of where the products are to be sold in the state as “Native”, “Native-Grown”, “Local”, “Locally-Grown” or similar terms, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 03-161 delineated those farm products and eggs that may be sold or advertised as “Connecticut-Grown” and those farm products and eggs that may be sold as “Native”, “Native-Grown”, “Local” or “Locally-Grown”; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Agriculture with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-109 made technical changes, effective May 21, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 08-13 added Subsec. (a) defining “farm products” and “Connecticut-Grown”, designated existing provisions as Subsec. (b) and amended same to add provisions re ten-day written proof, commissioner's designee and product label and to make technical changes, effective April 29, 2008; P.A. 15-245 amended Subsec. (b) by changing fine from not more than $25 to not more than $100, added Subsec. (c) re sign requirement for selling of Connecticut-Grown farm products at farmers' markets and penalty for violation, and made technical changes; P.A. 16-89 amended Subsec. (c) to make technical changes, effective June 1, 2016.

See Sec. 22-44 re terms used to describe eggs.