COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, nw
Washington, D.C. 20004
Statement of Introduction
Farmers Market Support Amendment Act of 2025
February 3, 2025
Today, I am pleased to introduce the Farmers Market Support Amendment Act of 2025, along with
Councilmembers Charles Allen, Matthew Frumin, Brianne K. Nadeau, Zachary Parker, and Robert
C. White, Jr. This legislation would establish a Farmers Market Support Program within the
Department of Health to provide technical assistance, streamline permitting processes, and
coordinate across agencies to support farmers markets. The legislation also creates a grant program
to incentivize farmers markets to open and expand operations in low food access areas by funding
operational costs, infrastructure, and year-round operations. The legislation also standardizes
licensing requirements for farmers markets and offers discounted permitting fees for markets
operating in low food access areas.
Farmers markets are essential for improving access to healthy, affordable food, supporting small-
scale farmers and District-owned small businesses, and fostering community connections. There
are currently 48 independently operated DC farmers markets operating across all 8 Wards, and
almost all DC farmers markets host shoppers that use federal and local food assistance programs.
The District also offers a wide-range of benefits for low-income residents to shop at farmers
markets, including Produce Plus and Farmers Market Nutrition Programs for women, children,
and seniors. Farmers markets are also a proven strategy to incubate District-owned small
businesses, to boost the sales of nearby brick-and-mortar businesses, and to activate public spaces.
Many neighborhoods in the District do not have access to healthy food, with approximately
330,000 residents living in areas classified as low food access, including 111,000 earning less than
185% of the federal poverty line. As the District works to attract full service grocery stores to low
food access areas, farmers markets can be an important part of the solution. To support farmers
markets across the District, the proposed Farmers Market Support Program at DC Health will
streamline the permitting process, provide technical assistance to markets, and enhance access to
nutrition benefits like SNAP, WIC, and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers. The
Program could also provide ride-share services, home delivery, and other logistical support to
reduce participation barriers.
This legislation directly supports farmers markets in low food access neighborhoods by creating a
grant program to help cover operational costs, infrastructure, and extended seasonal operations,
while also requiring discounted permitting fees to markets in low food access areas. These
measures aim to encourage the establishment and sustainability of farmers markets in low food
Christina Henderson Committee Member
Councilmember, At-Large Hospital and Health Equity
Chairperson, Committee on Health Judiciary and Public Safety
Transportation and the Environment
COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, nw
Washington, D.C. 20004
access communities, significantly increasing access to fresh, locally grown food and promoting
long-term food security.
I look forward to working with my Council colleagues to make this critical investment in food
equity, economic opportunity, and public health, ensuring that all District residents—regardless of
their ZIP code—can enjoy the benefits of fresh, healthy, and locally sourced food. 1
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Councilmember Charles Allen Councilmember Christina Henderson 2
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Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau Councilmember Matthew Frumin 6
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Councilmember Zachary Parker Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 10
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A BILL 13
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 17
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To amend the Department of Health Functions Clarification Act of 2001 to establish a farmers 21
market program within the Department of Health to provide technical assistance to 22
farmers markets, farm stands, and mobile markets, to recommend improvements to 23
permitting processes and regulations, to oversee coordination between agencies 24
regulating farmers markets, to administer a farmers market grant program, and to 25
establish a farmers market grant program; and to amend the Vending Regulation Act of 26
2009 to require the Mayor to standardize licensing and permitting requirements for 27
farmers markets, farm stands, and mobile markets. 28
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 30
act may be cited as the “Farmers Market Support Amendment Act of 2025”. 31
Sec. 2. The Department of Health Functions Clarification Act of 2001, effective October 32
3, 2001 (D.C. Law 14-28; D.C. Official Code § 7-731 et seq.), is amended by adding a new 33
subtitle C-ii to read as follows: 34
“Subtitle C-ii. Farmers Markets. 35
“Sec 4938. Definitions. 36
“For the purposes of this subtitle, the term: 37 2
“(1) “Farmer” means a person or entity that raises or produces farm products on land that 38
the person or entity farms and owns, rents, or leases in the District of Columbia, Virginia, West 39
Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, or New Jersey, for direct sale to 40
consumers. 41
“(2) “Farm products” means fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs, nuts, shell eggs, honey 42
or other bee products, flowers, nursery stock, livestock food products, including meat, milk, 43
cheese, and other dairy products, and fish. 44
“(3) “Farmers market” means a market at a fixed location with two or more vendors, 45
open to the public, operated by a government agency, a nonprofit, a business, or one or more 46
farmers or producers, that operates at least 6 times per calendar year, and includes at least one 47
farmer, and where at least 50 percent of vendors are providing direct-to-consumer sales of locally 48
grown farm products or locally processed food products. 49
“(4) “Farm stand” means a fixed location with one vendor, open to the public, operated 50
by a government agency, a nonprofit, a business, or one or more farmers or producers, that 51
operates at least 6 times per calendar year, and where at least 50% of sales consist of direct-to-52
consumer sales of locally grown farm products. 53
“(5) “Mobile market” means a mobile farm stand that travels to two or more fixed 54
locations and operates, in total, at least 6 times per calendar year. 55
“(6) “Locally grown” has the same meaning as in section 101(3) of the Healthy Schools 56
Act of 2010, effective July 27, 2010 (D.C. Law 18-209; D.C. Official Code § 38-821.01(3)). 57
“(7) “Locally processed food products” means foods that have been processed, including 58
canning, cooking, dehydrating, milling, or the addition of other ingredients, in the same states 59
included in the definition of “locally grown” in subsection 6 of this section. Processed foods 60 3
include cooked ready-to-eat foods, bread, baked goods, pickles, jams, and farm products that 61
have been processed into value-added farm products. 62
“(8) “Low food access area” means a census tract where: 63
“(A) More than 20% of households earn 185% or less of the federal poverty line; 64
and 65
“(B) At least 500 people or 33%, whichever is greater, of the population live more 66
than 0.5 miles or a 10-minute walk from a grocery store. 67
“(9) “Producer” means a person or entity that produces locally processed food products. 68
“(10) “Value-added farm product” means any product processed by a producer from a 69
farm product. 70
“Sec. 4939. Farmers Market Support Program. 71
“(a) There is established in the Department of Health a Farmers Market Support Program 72
(“program”), which shall: 73
“(1) Provide information and technical assistance relating to permitting, licensure, 74
accepting federal and local benefits, and any other relevant support to any farmers market, farm 75
stand, or mobile market operating or seeking to operate in the District; 76
“(2) Review and provide recommendations to improve existing District licensing, 77
permitting, and processes for establishing and operating a farmers market, farm stand, or mobile 78
market; 79
“(3) Convene and coordinate with District agencies involved in permitting and 80
supporting farmers markets, including the Office of Planning, the Department of Transportation, 81
the Department of Small and Local Business Development, and the Department of Licensing and 82
Consumer Protection; 83 4
“(4) Establish and annually update a publicly available online map with farmers 84
market, farm stand, and mobile market locations, including locations and hours of operation; 85
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“(5) Conduct marketing and promotion activities to encourage customers to use 87
farmers markets, farm stands, and mobile markets with a focus on those located in low 88
food access areas; 89
“(6) Administer the farmers market support grant program established under 90
subsection (c) of this section; and 91
“(7) Procure equipment and services to increase access to fresh produce and 92
improve farmers market, farm stand, and mobile market infrastructure. 93
“(b) The program may: 94
“(1) Evaluate the health and economic impacts of farmers markets, farm stands, 95
and mobile markets on customers that shop at the market and nearby businesses; 96
“(2) Apply for any federal, state, local, or private grant programs or funding 97
opportunities that would support farmers markets, farm stands, or mobile markets in the District 98
or activities of the program; 99
“(3) Assist with accepting federal and local nutrition benefits; 100
“(4) Provide vendors with assistance in obtaining equipment, technology, 101
software, or other e-commerce tools; and 102
“(5) Offer direct support to residents, including ride-share benefits, home delivery 103
services, and other programs that improve access to markets. 104 5
“(c) The program shall establish and administer a grant program to provide at least 105
$250,000 in grant funding to farmers markets located in low food access areas. Eligible uses of 106
the grant funding shall include: 107
“(1) Purchasing materials to establish or expand a farmers market, farm stand, or 108
mobile market, including tables, tents, signage, storage, and marketing materials; 109
“(2) Financial assistance to an entity located in a low food access area to host a 110
farmers market, farm stand, or mobile market on its property; 111
“(3) Operational and staffing costs; 112
“(4) Extending operations for an existing farmers market, farm stand, or mobile 113
market during cold weather months outside of its normal operating season; 114
“(5) Public safety and post-market cleanup related services; and 115
“(6) Customer incentives, including matching programs for federal and local 116
benefits and coupons. 117
“(d)(1) The grant funding in subsection (c) shall be available to existing farmers markets, 118
farm stands, and mobile markets, and to entities that show sufficient proof, as established by the 119
Department of Health through rulemaking, that they intend to operate a farmers market, farm 120
stand, or mobile market in the eligible area. 121
“(2) Preference for grant funding shall be given to entities that are providing 122
locally grown fruits and vegetables, or which include District of Columbia-owned businesses as 123
vendors.”. 124
Sec. 3. The Vending Regulation Act of 2009, effective October 22, 2009 (D.C. Law 18-125
71; D.C. Official Code § 37-131.01 et seq.), is amended as follows: 126
(a) Section 7 (D.C. Official Code § 37-131.06) is amended as follows: 127 6
(1) The existing language is designated as subsection (a). 128
(2) A new subsection (b) is added to read as follows: 129
“(b) The Mayor shall post on a public facing website standardized requirements for a 130
license, permit, or authorization to operate a farmers market, farm stand, or mobile market in the 131
District.”. 132
(b) Section 8(a-1) (D.C. Official Code § 37-131.07(a-1)) is amended by adding a new 133
paragraph (2A) to read as follows: 134
“(2A) For a farmers market, farm stand, or mobile market as defined by section 135
4938 of the Department of Health Functions Clarification Act of 2001, as introduced on 136
___________ (Bill 26-__), located, or applying to locate, in a low food access area, as defined 137
by section 4938(8) of the Department of Health Functions Clarification Act of 2001, as 138
introduced on ___________ (Bill 26-__), seeking to obtain or renew a license, permit, or 139
authorization under this section, the Mayor shall charge a fee that is discounted by a minimum of 140
50% from the standard cost.”. 141
Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 142
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 143
impact statement required by section 602(c)(3) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, 144
approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; DC. . Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(3)). 145
Sec. 5. Effective date. 146
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 147
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional 148
review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved 149
December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)). 150