NC H458

Establishes the North Carolina Food Desert Agriculture Grant Fund administered by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to encourage agricultural production in food desert zones designated by the USDA Economic Research Service.

Allows property owners in food desert zones using their property for crop production or farmers markets to apply for grants up to the amount of property tax due, reduced by any rent charged and adjusted proportionally for partial property use or months of non-use.

Grants awarded in the order applications are received; if requested grants exceed available funds in a fiscal year, unpaid grants are distributed in the next fiscal year when funds become available.

Department must issue annual reports by February 1 to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources and Fiscal Research Division detailing number of applications, amounts requested and awarded, and recipient names and amounts.

Appropriates $500,000 in nonrecurring funds from the General Fund for the 2021-2022 fiscal year to support the grant program.