Senate Committee on Agriculture

AGENDA

Room 26

April 23, 2019 - April 26, 2019

Last Updated 4/26/2019 11:06 AM

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

9:30 AM                   Senate Floor

15 minutes after Floor                   Bills in Committee

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

11:30 AM                   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

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

9:00 AM                   H. 79 - An act relating to eligibility for farm-to-school grant assistance

Discussion and possible vote

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

9:30 AM                   H. 525 - An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects

Committee discussion

Andrea Stander, Policy Consultant, Rural Vermont

Ryan Patch, Deputy Director, Water Quality Division, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Laura DiPietro, Water Quality Division Director, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

12:00 PM                   Gilbert King

author, "Devil in the Grove"

Senate Chamber

2:00 PM                   Senate Floor

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 House Agriculture and Forestry 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

Friday, April 26, 2019

9:00 AM                   Animal feed regulations

9:15 AM                   H. 275 - An act relating to the Farm-to-Plate Investment Program

Amendment

Sen. Randy Brock, Reporter, Sponsor of Amendment

9:50 AM                   Animal feed regulations

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

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

Andrea Stander, Policy Consultant, Rural Vermont

10:15 AM                   Raw milk

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

Frank Huard, Owner, Huard Family Farm

Andrea Stander, Policy Consultant, Rural Vermont

Jane Clifford, Dairy Producer, Starksboro

10:45 AM                   H. 79 - An act relating to eligibility for farm-to-school grant assistance

Rosie Krueger, Assistant Director, Child Nutrition Programs, Agency of Education

11:00 AM                   H. 525 - An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects

Laura DiPietro, Water Quality Division Director, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Ryan Patch, Deputy Director, Water Quality Division, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

12:00 PM                   Break

12:15 PM                   Senate Floor

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