House Committee on Agriculture and Forestry

AGENDA

Room 32

April 23, 2019 - April 26, 2019

Last Updated 4/25/2019 3:03 PM

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

10:00 AM                   House Floor

following                           Caucuses and Lunch

1:00 PM                   S. 160 - An act relating to agricultural development

Michael O'Grady, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Council

Phil Huffman, Director of Government Relations and Policy, The Nature Conservancy

1:30 PM                   Dairy Farmers of America

Stephanie Walsh, Director, Industry and Community Affairs, Dairy Farmers of America

Jackie Klippenstein, Senior Vice President of Government, Community and Industry Affairs, Dairy Farmers of America

2:00 PM                   19-0792 - An act relating to farming activities in wetlands

Joe Hescock, Owner, Elysian Fields Dairy

2:30 PM                   S. 160 - An act relating to agricultural development

Section 1

Amy Shollenberger, Lobbyist, Vermont Farm to School Network

Abbey Willard, Director, Agricultural Development Division, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

3:15 PM                   S. 58 - An act relating to the State hemp program

Cary Giguere, Policy Director, Public Health and Agricultural Resource Management

Andrea Stander, Policy Consultant, Rural Vermont

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

9:00 AM                   19-0792 - An act relating to farming activities in wetlands

Julie Moore, Secretary, Agency of Natural Resources

Anson Tebbetts, Secretary, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Bill Rowell, Chair of Board, Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance

10:30 AM                   S. 160 - An act relating to agricultural development

Michael O'Grady, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Council

Michael Snyder, Commissioner, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

11:15 AM                   19-0792 - An act relating to farming activities in wetlands

-                                   S. 58 - An act relating to the State hemp program

Committee discussion

1:00 PM                   House Floor

15 minutes after Floor                   S. 58 - An act relating to the State hemp program

-                                   S. 160 - An act relating to agricultural development

Rep. Jessica Brumsted, House Committee On Human Services

Rosalyn Graham, Shelburne

Hannah Smith, Associate General Counsel, Department of Environmental Conservation

Thursday, April 25, 2019

9:00 AM                   H. 205 - An act relating to the regulation of neonicotinoid pesticides

Presentation of Neoniconitoid Pesticides; Safety and Use

Joint hearing with Senate Agriculture Committee

Room 10

Cary Giguere, Policy Director, Public Health and Agricultural Resource Management

Erica Cummings, Public Health and Agricultural Resource Management, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Nona estrin, East Montpeleir

Ross Conrad, Owner, Dancing Bee Gardens

Judy Bellairs, Pollinator Protection Leader, Vermont Chapter of the Sierra Club

Bill Mares, Former President, Vermont Beekeepers Association

Mike Bald, Founder and Owner, Got Weeds?

10:15 AM                   Rural Vermont and NOFA-VT

Introductions and Issues

Joint Hearing with House Agriculture and Forestry Committee

Room 10

Andrea Stander, Policy Consultant, Rural Vermont

Maddie Kempner, Membership and Advocacy Coordinator, NOFA VT

Steve Fortmann, Owner, Ghost Dog Dairy/Fortmann Farm

Cary Giguere, Policy Director, Public Health and Agricultural Resource Management

Cat Buxton, Vermont Healthy Soils Coalition

Abbie Corse, Owner, Corse Family Farm

Amy Huyffler, Strafford Organic Creamery

Jackie Folsom, Lobbyist, Vermont Farm Bureau

Judith Schwartz, Author, Journalist, Bennington

Graham Unangst-Rufehacht, Farmer, Robinson Hill Beef

Frank Huard, Owner, Huard Family Farm

Karl Hammer, Owner, Vermont Compost Co.

Joie Lehouillier, Owner, Foote Brook Farm

Eden Marceau-Piconi, Owner, 5 Birds Farm

1:00 PM                   House Floor

15 minutes after Floor                   S. 58 - An act relating to the State hemp program

Committee discussion and possible vote

Cary Giguere, Policy Director, Public Health and Agricultural Resource Management

Gabrielle Malina, Partner, Komline Consulting Government Relations

Andrea Stander, Policy Consultant, Rural Vermont

Friday, April 26, 2019

9:30 AM                   House Floor

15 minutes after Floor                   S. 58 - An act relating to the State hemp program

Michael O'Grady, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Council

ATTENTION WITNESSES- Please email handouts to the committee assistant before your scheduled meeting date and bring 7 hard copies. Please write your name, organization, date and title on each document. With few exceptions, any documents you hand out to a committee, or send to a committee assistant, are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s webpage.

If you have any questions and comments, please contact

 Linda Leehman at 802-828-2233 or lleehman@leg.state.vt.us