Somerset unorganized territory adopts food sovereignty ordinance unanimously

Somerset County commissioners voted unanimously to approve a Food Sovereignty Ordinance for the county's unorganized territory, the board said after a public hearing that drew residents concerned about licensing and access.

Supporters at the hearing told commissioners that current licensing requirements and travel to distant inspection sites prevent many residents from selling or sharing home-produced foods locally. A public commenter said the ordinance would let “those people to step in their neighbors and set up a small market where they can exchange food,” an exchange supporters described as a way to share produce and homemade goods without having to travel for inspections.

The county staff clarified that the 2017 Food Sovereignty Act is an opt-in program that allows towns and counties to adopt enabling ordinances; the administrator said the ordinance asks the county to opt the unorganized territory into that framework. After discussion, the board took a motion to move the ordinance forward and voted 5-0 to adopt it.

The ordinance was presented during a scheduled public hearing; commissioners asked staff and commenters about how the change would interact with existing municipal ordinances in nearby towns, and residents noted Cornville and Athens already operate under similar local rules. No formal amendments were recorded at the meeting.

The hearing record shows residents raised practical concerns about transportation and inspection requirements, and the ordinance is intended to reduce bureaucratic barriers for small-scale neighborhood markets in the unorganized territory. The board did not specify an effective date at the meeting; staff said implementation details and any necessary guidance would be handled by county administration.

The public hearing on the ordinance closed before the meeting moved to other business.