Support local farmers in obtaining a restricted receipt account with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM).
This type of account allows farmers to retain the fees collected by the DEM from local agricultural businesses, which amount to roughly $3.8 million per year. This sum, which currently flows into the General Fund, exceeds the budget of the DEM Division of Agriculture and could be used to significantly expand the division’s capacity.
This initiative is organized by the farmers of Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Food Policy Council (RIFPC) has created this form to help the farmers of Rhode Island collect signatures from the RIFPC network. Please complete the form below with as much detail as possible. The collected signatures will be shared with the farmers of Rhode Island in support of a Restricted Receipt Account for The Division of Agriculture.
“We, the farmers of Rhode Island, are in support of a Restricted Receipt Account for The Division Of Agriculture. We believe all the fees that are collected from Agriculture businesses should stay within The Division of Agriculture. These fees will help support many Agricultural programs in the state. The budget for The Division of Agriculture is 2.96 million dollars which includes Federal and State funds. Last year, The Division of Agriculture collected 3.8 Million dollars. 100% of these funds went into the General Fund. Please sign your name in support of a Restricted Receipt Account for The Division of Agriculture.” – The Farmers of Rhode Island