Legislature(2021 - 2022)BARNES 124
04/16/2021 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB22 | |
| HB54 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 22 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 54 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 22-SHARED ANIMAL AND RAW MILK/PRODUCTS
1:03:52 PM
CHAIR PATKOTAK announced that the first order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 22, "An Act relating to shared animal
ownership; and relating to the sharing and sale of raw milk and
raw milk products."
1:04:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GERAN TARR, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, presented a PowerPoint on HB 22 [hard copy included in
committee packet]. She began the presentation by paraphrasing
slide 2, "Food Security in Alaska - Today," which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
Alaska is food insecure
95% of food is imported from outside
Alaska can produce more
67% of farmers surveyed by Division of
Agriculture would produce more if they had more market
options
$5 challenge
Would generate $188 million for our economy
REPRESENTATIVE TARR then paraphrased slide 3, "Food Security in
Alaska - Historically," which read as follows [original
punctuation provided]:
At statehood in 1959
525 farms
Produced 49% of agricultural products
Dairy farming goes back to at least 1867
Dairy farms across the state from McGrath to Nome
to Kodiak to Mat-Su
REPRESENTATIVE TARR explained slide 4, "Food Security in Alaska
- Milk," which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Only two certified dairy farms in Alaska
Havemeister Dairy in Palmer
In business since 1935
Baptist Mission Heritage Farm in Kodiak
Certified as a grade A dairy in 2019
Alaska can produce more
Operations in Kodiak and Delta Junction close to
coming on line
REPRESENTATIVE TARR paraphrased slides 5 and 6, both titled
"Herd Shares," which read as follows [original punctuation
provided]:
Allowed by regulation
18 AAC 32.010
requires contractual relationship
18 AAC 32.010. Purpose and applicability of 18 AAC
32.010 - 18 AAC 32.060. (a) The purpose of 18 AAC
32.010 - 18 AAC 32.060 is to safeguard public health
and safety by ensuring that milk and milk products
from a cow, goat, or sheep, that are to be sold as
part of commerce and intended for human consumption,
are manufactured, sold, and delivered in a safe and
wholesome condition.
(b) The provisions of 18 AAC 32.010 - 18 AAC 32.060
apply to
(1) each milk producer, each wholesale milk
distributor, and each owner or operator of a milk
processing plant, receiving station, or transfer
station whose milk or milk products are to be sold as
part of commerce and are intended for human
consumption;
(2) each milk hauler who
(A) collects, for the milk producer, milk
processing plant, or the department, samples of raw
milk for pasteurization or for bacterial, chemical,
temperature standards, or compliance testing; or
(B) hauls milk from a milk producer or other
milk distributor to a milk processing plant, receiving
station, or transfer station; and
(3) a processor of a milk product.
(c) The provisions of 18 AAC 32.010 - 18 AAC 32.060 do
not apply to a person who owns a cow, goat, or sheep
and uses the milk from the animal for that person's
personal use. (Eff. 5/23/98, Register 146)
REPRESENTATIVE TARR finished her PowerPoint
presentation with slide 7, "House Bill 22 - 2 things,"
which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Puts herd share program in statute
Strengthens program by putting in statute
Allows producers to offer value added products to
customers in herd share program
Butter, ice cream, cheese
Opportunity for farmer to produce additional
products to support farm
Opportunity for consumer to purchase more
goods at one place
REPRESENTATIVE TARR explained that the existence of herd shares
would mean better business opportunities for farmers because
farming is very capital-intensive. With herd sharing it's
possible for a farmer to start small and grow as they build
products and a customer base. She pointed out possible safety
concerns addressed by the Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC) and noted a relevant part of the Sectional
Analysis, which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
"In addition, Section 17.20.015 prohibits the Department of
Environmental Conservation from adding restrictions and
additional requirements on the sharing or transfer of raw milk
between owners of a milk-producing animal." She also noted that
HB 22 contains language defining "raw milk."
1:10:51 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked why the raw milk provision in SB 22
is necessary.
REPRESENTATIVE TARR explained that a farmer may start herd
sharing with an investment of a few thousand dollars, whereas
starting a Grade A dairy operation would require millions of
dollars.
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS said that it sounds as if the smaller
owners don't have access to pasteurization.
REPRESENTATIVE TARR replied, "That is true."
1:13:46 PM
SUZY CROSBY, Owner, Cottonwood Creek Farm, testified in support
of HB 22 by presenting a PowerPoint [hard copy included in
committee packet], titled "Managing A Goat Herd Share Operation
in Alaska." She presented slide 2, titled "Why Goats?", which
read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Ease of handling
? Digestibility of goat milk
? Minimal infrastructure
? Simple cleanup
? "Missing link"
MS. CROSBY paraphrased slide 3, "Why Herd Share?", which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
? Goats can help "pay their way"
? Connecting consumers with producers
? "Loca-vores"
? Freedom of choice
? Food security!
MS. CROSBY presented slide 4, titled "Remember food insecurity
(Mar. 2020)?", which showed a picture of empty dairy cases in a
grocery store. She then showed slide 5, "What Herd Share is:",
showing a picture of a refrigerator full of dairy products which
she took for comparison immediately after seeing the empty dairy
cases. Slide 5 read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
? Legal in Alaska
? http://dec.alaska.gov/eh/docs/vet/Dairy/RawMilkShare
sAKFactsheet.pdf
? Currently restricted to fluid milk only
? Sustainable CSA
? Scheduled pickup
? Commitment
? Know your farmer!
MS. CROSBY presented slide 6, "What Herd Share is not:", which
read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
? Not the grocery store!
? Not *selling* milk
? Not making cheese or other products? Yet!
? HB 22 would allow value-added products within the
definition of the herd share relationship.
MS. CROSBY then paraphrased slides 7, 8, and 9, all outlining
safety and sanitation, which read as follows [original
punctuation provided]:
Safety & Sanitation: Part 1
Milking location
Wash your hands!
? Pre-milking spray
? Hand or machine?
? Final strip
? Post-milking dip
Safety & Sanitation: Part 2
? Wash hands!
? A "sharp dividing line"
? Filtering milk
? Rapid chilling
? Cold storage
Safety & Sanitation: Part 3
Record keeping-- which goat's milk?
? Educating the share owners
? Jar care
MS. CROSBY then presented slides 10, 11, and 12, which showed
pictures of milk products, and which read [original punctuation
provided]: "HB 22 would allow value-added products -- like
Queso Fresco? Or feta with sundried tomatoes? ?Or chevre?to be a
legal component of a herd share agreement." She moved on to
paraphrase slide 13, "Benefits of HB 22 to consumers:", which
read as follows [original punctuation provided]:
? Freedom to make food choices without restriction
? Having a variety of dairy options besides milk
? Access to digestible products for those intolerant
to commercial dairy
? Many consumers prefer ready-made vs. DIY
? Growing preference for unique locally made/artisan
food
MS. CROSBY paraphrased slide 14, "Benefits of HB 22 to
producers:", which read as follows [original punctuation
provided]:
? Allows for best usage of seasonal surplus milk
? Farmer can buy more hay per gallon of milk (goats
eat even during their dry period!)
? Specialty products would still be available in
winter even when fluid milk production drops
MS. CROSBY presented slide 15, "HB 22 would offer benefits
overall:", which read as follows [original punctuation
provided]:
? Help strengthen Alaska's fragile food system
? Help prevent food waste
? Expand Alaskan agriculture by offering a new
business opportunity for farmers
1:27:26 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY noted Ms. Crosby's assertion that "man
could not survive on Twinkies."
MS. CROSBY said that the more nutritious a food is, the higher
the likelihood of bacteria.
REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY commented that he lived for four years in
Norway where goat products were very popular.
1:29:58 PM
AMY SEITZ, Executive Director, Alaska Farm Bureau, presented a
PowerPoint [hard copy included in committee packet] titled "HB
22 Expanding Alaska's Dairy Industry." She said that HB 22 is
important for increasing agriculture and local food access, as
well as for the economic benefits. She said that, while
agriculture in Alaska is growing, there is opportunity for more
contribution, which would grow the economic benefits and
increase food security. She said that 50 percent of food
consumed in Alaska used to be grown locally; that number is now
5 percent. She explained that shipping delays, strikes, and
worldwide pandemics affect the ability to import food into the
state. "If every Alaskan spent $5 a week buying Alaska-grown,"
she said, "it would have a $188 million impact on our economy."
She noted that there is not enough production in the state for
all residents to spend $5 per week, so removing barriers to
production is important.
1:34:22 PM
MS. SEITZ presented slide 5, which contained quotes regarding
COVID-19 impacts on the food supply chain and read as follows
[original punctuation provided]:
"it has been seen that COVID - 19 has an impact on the
whole process [food supply chain] from the field to
the consumer" - Oxford Academic, Impacts of Covid - 19
on the food supply chain
" With the coronavirus pandemic, we're facing a crisis
the likes of which none of us has experienced before.
Times like these remind us all of the importance of
ensuring our nation's food security, and we want to
assure Americans that agriculture remains on call
24/7." -Zippy Duvall, President American Farm Bureau
Federation
"The food supply chain is breaking," -John Tyson,
Tyson Foods Chairman
MS. SEITZ said that with only two Grade A certified dairies in
Alaska, most of the dairy operations in the state are part of a
herd share program. She explained that Alaska would need 28
million pounds to constitute a 90-day supply of milk, but
current production is at 3.5 million pounds. She said that HB
22 would increase economic opportunities for farms as well as
choices for consumers.
1:38:42 PM
AMY PETTIT, Executive Director, Alaska Farmland Trust, presented
a PowerPoint on HB 22 [hard copy included in committee packet].
She explained that the Alaska Farmland Trust aims to protect
agricultural areas, promote Alaska's agricultural industry, and
educate the public on the industry. She said that the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducts a Census of
Agriculture every five years, and the most recent census shows
that farms have decreased by 3 percent in the contiguous U.S.,
but have increased by 30 percent in Alaska, with Alaska leading
the nation in the number of new farmers. She said that the
number of small farms in Alaska has increased by 73 percent, and
that 47 percent of farmers in Alaska are women. She said that
the value of food sold directly to consumers increased from $2.2
million in 2012 to $4.5 million in 2017. She characterized HB
22 as being about improving access, removing barriers,
developing economies, and expanding production, and that the
investment in the next generation of farmers that could be made
possible by HB 22 would benefit the state.
1:46:33 PM
CHAIR PATKOTAK opened public testimony on HB 22.
1:47:28 PM
MARLENE WENGER testified in support of HB 22. She said that she
and her husband started the Copper River Valley Chapter of the
Alaska Farm Bureau 20 years ago, and that in their own store
they carry as many Alaska-grown products as possible. She noted
that during the COVID-19 pandemic the store had run out of
imported items, but not those which had been locally-produced.
1:49:08 PM
DONNA CELIA testified in support of HB 22. She said that she is
a herd share member at Cottonwood Creek Farm, having learned
farming as a child. She described watching the farming industry
in Oregon die, then slowly be replaced by the organic movement.
She expressed appreciation for farming culture and noted the
popularity of farmers markets in Alaska.
1:51:20 PM
CHAIR PATKOTAK, after ascertaining that no one else wished to
testify, closed public testimony on HB 22. He then announced
that HB 22 was held over.