Lots of farmers and gardeners sell compost to friends and neighbors, though that practice may have been illegal, due to an issue with the way the law was written. State Senator Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) passed legislation designed to fix the issue.His legislation, which was recently signed into law, changes statutes so that private landowners no longer need a permit to transport their compost.

“The previous law was meant to target large businesses, but unfortunately it then also affected small business and farmers. This new law fixes that problem and helps farmers and gardeners who sell compost,” said Sen. Bennett.  “This relieves the hassle of going through the long process of getting a permit just to move compost to your neighbor’s yard or another farm.”

House Bill 3277, sponsored by Senator Bennett, will ensure that on-farm composting is exempt from having to receive a permit if the constituent is selling the compost as a soil nutrient.

The sale of compost has to be no more than 20% or 300 cubic yards of the total compost created annually by the landowner.

Senator Bennett also had another of his bills signed into law recently, which updates requirements for the Lyme Disease Task Force to make sure that the best individuals possible are serving on the panel.