§ 5152. Definitions
As used in this chapter:
(1) “Agricultural fair” or “field days” means an exhibition held at least annually by
an agricultural fair association that offers premiums for competitive exhibits in
at least five different categories.
(2) “Agricultural fair association” means an organization or association incorporated
under State law that is governed by an elected board of directors that operate fairs
and agricultural shows that promote or exhibit the work of farmers and others who
produce, process, market, or distribute farm and food products, including livestock,
poultry, fish, fruits, vegetables, fiber, horticultural products, maple products,
honey, Christmas trees, or other agricultural products.
(3) “Competitive exhibit” means an open competition designed to demonstrate the quality,
improvements, or benefits of grains, fruits, vegetables, cultivated flowers, livestock,
poultry, fish, bees, maple products, honey, dairy products, agricultural practices,
or other agricultural crops or products. To qualify as a competitive exhibit, there
must be at least three entries per category.
(4) “General operation” means the goods and services utilized to operate a fair in the
ordinary course of business that generate ordinary expenses, excluding plant improvements.
(5) “Plant improvement” means an improvement of fixtures, machinery, apparatus, equipment,
display facilities, buildings, or other infrastructure used for a fair.
(6) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets. (Added 2023, No. 73, § 1, eff. July 1, 2023.)
§ 5154. State Agricultural Fairs and Field Days Grant Program; eligibility
(a) A grant program is established within the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
to provide financial assistance from funds appropriated for this purpose to eligible
agricultural fair associations to support their agricultural fairs or field days.
(b) An agricultural fair association shall be eligible to apply for grant funds under
this section if it meets all of the following:
(1) It operates an agricultural fair or field days that is open a minimum of three consecutive
eight-hour days each year or it operates a fair that received grant funding through
the previous State stipend fund for agricultural fairs.
(2) It timely applies for a grant, submits a complete application, and provides all requested
information.
(3) It is in good standing with the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.
(4) It fully intends to continue operating an agricultural fair or field days that is
open a minimum of three consecutive eight-hour days during both the current and next
calendar year.
(c) The Secretary shall create an application form that agricultural fair associations
must utilize when applying for assistance. Agency of Administration Bulletin 5.0 shall
apply to all awarded grants, and applicants shall certify that all information they
provide is truthful and accurate to the best of their knowledge, information, and
belief.
(d) The Secretary shall have the discretion to solicit relevant information, establish
and enforce an application deadline, and establish a reasonable time frame to distribute
grant funds to eligible and qualified applicants. The Secretary may require each applicant
to:
(1) explain the basis for each request with an informative narrative and pertinent financial
data;
(2) explain how any awarded grant funds will be used, including whether the funds will
support general operations or plant improvement;
(3) provide accurate attendance numbers, the amount spent on premiums for competitive
exhibits, the amount spent on general operations, and the amount spent on plant improvements
for one or more of the most recent fairs or field days;
(4) indicate how the requested grant will support continued operations and promote agriculture
in the State;
(5) explain how recently awarded program grants supported the purposes of this chapter;
and
(6) explain its goals for the next five years, how it plans to achieve the goals, and
the role of the requested grant funds in meeting its objectives.
(e) The Secretary shall have the discretion to issue grant awards to eligible agricultural
fair associations after the application deadline expires and the Secretary evaluates
all timely applications. The Secretary shall equitably distribute the appropriated
funds to qualified applicants and strive to support fairs and field days in all areas
of the State. When equitably distributing available funds, the Secretary shall consider
the following factors:
(1) the importance of the requested grant to the applicant;
(2) how the grant will help farmers, food producers, and promote agriculture;
(3) how the grant will support the local community;
(4) each applicant’s attendance numbers, the amount it spent on premiums for competitive
exhibits, the amount it spent on general operations, and the amount it spent on plant
improvements;
(5) each applicant’s past success in productively utilizing grant funds;
(6) each applicant’s plans to facilitate the purposes of this chapter; and
(7) the relative needs of all applicants and how the distribution of available funds may
best meet the purposes of the program.
(f)(1) The Secretary shall equitably distribute appropriated funds to eligible qualified
applicants. The Secretary shall determine each applicant’s percentage of total fair
and field days activity through a formula that equally measures each applicant’s respective
percentage of the total applicant:
(A) attendance;
(B) premium expenditures;
(C) general operations expenditures; and
(D) plant improvement expenditures for the most recent calendar year.
(2) Generally, the Secretary shall award proportionate shares of available grant funds
based on each applicant’s combined percentage of total applicant activity. No applicant
shall receive more than 10 percent of the total appropriated funds unless fewer than
10 fair associations apply. In the Secretary’s sole discretion, the Secretary may
consider the additional enumerated factors in this section and use an alternate method
to equitably distribute available funds. (Added 2023, No. 73, § 1, eff. July 1, 2023.)