SECTION 1.  Section 1 of chapter 20 is hereby removed and replaced with the following:

"There shall be a Department of Agricultural Resources under the supervision and control of a board of agriculture, hereinafter called the board. The board shall consist of 13 members who shall represent the geographic diversity of the Commonwealth as well as the diversity of agricultural operations within the Commonwealth, appointed by the Governor. 

At least 9 members of the board shall be farmers whose principal vocation is the production of food and fiber. Member shall be appointed for a term of 3 years with no member serving more than two consecutive terms.

The board shall meet not less than six times a year or at the call of the chairman and at such times as shall be determined by its rules or at the request of the commissioner or the call of any three members. The chairman shall be annually appointed by a majority of said board present and voting thereon. Board members shall receive fifty dollars for each day or portion thereof spent in the discharge of their official duties not to exceed six hundred dollars per year and shall be reimbursed for the travel to and from official board meetings and other expenses necessary to conduct such meetings.

There shall be a commissioner of agricultural resources who shall be appointed and may be removed by the secretary of environmental affairs with the approval of the governor. Said commissioner shall have charge of the administration of the department. The department may expend for traveling expenses of its employees incurred in the performance of their official duties and for other necessary expenses of the department, such sums as may be appropriated."