House Committee on Agriculture and Forestry

AGENDA

Room 32

February 11, 2020 - February 14, 2020

Last Updated 2/14/2020 8:15 AM

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

10:00 AM                   House Floor Convenes

Following Adjournment                   Caucuses and Lunch

1:00 PM                   Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

FY21 Agriculture Budget

Diane Bothfeld, Director of Administrative Services & Dairy Policy, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

2:30 PM                   Committee Discussion of Bill Priorities

3:00 PM                   Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Introduction

Brooke Decker, Pollinator Protector Specialist, Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

3:30 PM                   H. 674 - An act relating to clarifying the definition of development used for use value appraisals

Douglas Farnham, Director of Policy and Tax Department Economist, Department of Taxes

Kate McCarthy, Sustainable Communities Program Director, Vermont Natural Resources Council

Todd Heyman, Fat Sheep Farm and Cabins

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

9:00 AM                   H. 673 - An act relating to tree wardens

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Council

Rep. Harvey Smith, Sponsor - Phone

Gwynn Zakov, Municipal Policy Advocate, Vermont League of Cities and Towns

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

10:00 AM                   Farm to School Awareness Day

Joint Hearing, House Agriculture and Forestry and Senate Agriculture Committees

Room 11

Betsy Rosenbluth, Vermont FEED Project Director, Vermont Farm to School Network

Laura Ginsburg, Agricultural Development Section Chief, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

David Baker, Superintendent, Windsor Southeast Supervisory Union

Craig Locarno, Food Service Director, Windsor Southeast Supervisory Union

Peter Stratman, Teacher, Cabot School

Nene Riley, Teacher, Cabot School

Camryn Hoffman, Student, Cabot School

Silas Robbins, Student, Cabot School

Meg Dawkins, Staff, Berlin Elementary School

Teddy Chamberlain, Student, Berlin Elementary School

Gavin Haines, Student, Berlin Elementary School

JJ Hansen, Student, Berlin Elementary School

Phin Hilferty, Student, Berlin Elementary School

Sophia McCaffrey, Student, Berlin Elementary School

Kadence McCalister, Student, Berlin Elementary School

Lucas Richer, Student, Berlin Elementary School

Jake Stafford, Student, Berlin Elementary School

John Stafford, Student, Berlin Elementary School

Angus Baldwin, Owner, Three Crows Farm

Mary Zigman, Rutland County Parent Child Center

Beth Miller, Community Impact Director, Rutland County Parent Child Center

Helen Rortvedt, Farm to School Program Director, NOFA VT

1:00 PM                   House Floor Convenes

15 minutes after Floor Adjourns                   H. 254 - An act relating to adequate shelter for livestock

Jessica Danyow, Chair, Animal Cruelty Investigation Advisory Board - Phone

Barry Londeree, Vermont State Director, United States Humane Society

Mary McFaun, Animal Cruelty Investigation Advisory Board

2:30 PM                   Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee on the Future of Lake Champlain

Hilary Solomon, Manager, Poultney-Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District

Lori Fisher, Chair, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee on the Future of Lake Champlain

3:00 PM                   H. 674 - An act relating to clarifying the definition of development used for use value appraisals

Abby Shepard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Council

4:00 PM                   2020 Farm to School Awareness Day

State House Cafeteria

Thursday, February 13, 2020

9:00 AM                   Field Trip

Perfect Circle Farm

Joint field trip with Senate Agriculture Committee

1:00 PM                   House Floor Convenes

15 Minutes after Floor Adjourns                   H. 673 - An act relating to tree wardens

Danielle Fitzko, Director of Forests, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

Nicholas Ecker-Racz, Town of Glover

Sam Lincoln, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

2:30 PM                   H. 674 - An act relating to clarifying the definition of development used for use value appraisals

Committee vote

2:45 PM                   H. 794 - An act relating to limiting liability for agritourism

-                                   H. 798 - An act relating to the use of biochar

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

Friday, February 14, 2020

9:30 AM                   House Floor Convenes

15 Minutes after Floor Adjourns                   Committee Discussion

10:30 AM                   NOFA-Vermont

Grace Oedel, Executive Director, NOFA VT

Maddie Kempner, Policy Director, NOFA VT

11:30 AM                   Committee Discussion

12:00 PM                   Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Strategic Plan

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

Ellen Kahler, Executive Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

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

ATTENTION WITNESSES- Please email handouts to the committee assistant before your scheduled meeting date and bring 5 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.