(a) For the purposes of this section, “grocery or food store” means a business that employs ten or more persons and is engaged in the retail sale of produce, such as fruits and vegetables, meats, poultry, seafood, nuts, dairy products, bakery products or eggs.

(b) No grocery or food store shall be eligible for any state grant, financial assistance, state loan or other state-funded incentive under title 32, unless such store is certified as a “Connecticut Farm Fresh Market” by the Commissioner of Agriculture pursuant to subsection (c) of this section.

(c) The Commissioner of Agriculture shall establish and administer a program, within available resources, to certify grocery and food stores as “Connecticut Farm Fresh Markets”. A grocery or food store may be certified by the commissioner as a Connecticut Farm Fresh Market if proof is submitted, to the satisfaction of the commissioner, that such store continuously stocks fifteen per cent or more of its shelf space for retail produce and dairy with farm products grown or produced in this state. Such products include, but are not limited to, dairy products, meat, poultry, seafood, nuts, eggs, fruits and vegetables. A grocery or food store certified as a Connecticut Farm Fresh Market may use the words “Connecticut Farm Fresh Market” for promotional and marketing activities. No store other than a store certified as a Connecticut Farm Fresh Market may use such words for promotional and marketing activities.

(d) The Commissioner of Agriculture shall establish and administer a program, within available resources, to promote restaurants in the state that serve farm products grown or produced in the state. The commissioner shall, upon receiving proof satisfactory to said commissioner that at least twenty per cent of food served by a restaurant consists of farm products grown and produced in the state, certify the restaurant to use the words “Connecticut Farm Fresh Restaurant” for promotional and marketing activities. No restaurant other than one certified as a Connecticut Farm Fresh Restaurant may use such words for promotional and marketing activities.

(e) The Commissioner of Agriculture may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to carry out the purposes of this section.

(P.A. 04-222, S. 3; P.A. 07-230, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 04-222 effective June 8, 2004; P.A. 07-230 deleted former Subsec. (e) re establishment of program to promote schools that serve farm products grown or produced in the state and certification of a school as a Connecticut Farm Fresh School and redesignated existing Subsec. (f) as Subsec. (e).