Senate Committee on Agriculture

AGENDA

Zoom

January 11, 2022 - January 14, 2022

Last Updated 1/14/2022 11:32 AM

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3ogCBBT6D13zAYmsLI0Oiw/featured

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

9:30 AM                   Senate Floor

15 minutes after Floor adjourns                   Plastic Residues in Compost

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

Matthew Chapman, General Counsel, Agency of Natural Resources

Josh Kelly, Materials Management Section Chief, Agency of Natural Resources

12:00 PM                   Committee Adjourns

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

9:00 AM                   Northeast Dairy Task Force

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

9:40 AM                   Break

9:45 AM                   S. 188 - An act relating to regulating licensed small cannabis cultivation as farming

Sen. Dick Sears Jr., Bennington County

10:15 AM                   Break

10:30 AM                   Universal Meals

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

Trevor Lowell, Farm to Institution Program Director, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

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

Faye Mack, Advocacy and Education Director, Hunger Free Vermont

Carrie Stahler, Vermont Food Bank

Jean Hamilton, Vermont Everyone Eats Program Manager, SEVCA, ShiftMeals and The Skinny Pancake

12:00 PM                   Committee Adjourns

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

Thursday, January 13, 2022

9:00 AM                   Committee Bill Discussion

Legislative initiatives concerning dairy industry

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

10:45 AM                   Committee Adjourns

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

Friday, January 14, 2022

9:30 AM                   Agri-Mark

Introductions

Margaret Laggis, Lobbyist, Agri-Mark

Joanna Lidback, Wheeler Mountain Farm, Barton, VT

Clara Ayer, Fairmont Farms, East Montpelier, VT

Jason Martin, Vice President of Manufacturing, Agri-Mark

Catherine DeRonde, Vice President, Agri-Mark

10:15 AM                   22-0543 - An act relating to providing premium assistance for farmer participation in risk management programs

Catherine DeRonde, Vice President, Economics and Legislative Affairs, Agrimark

Ed Gallagher, President, DFA Risk Management

Jackie Folsom, Lobbyist, Vermont Farm Bureau

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

11:00 AM                   Water Quality Funding

Update on federal funding dealing with water quaility in Vermont

Marli Rupe, Agricultural Water Quality Section Chief, Department of Environmental Conservation

11:20 AM                   Committee Adjourns

11:30 AM                   Senate Floor

ATTENTION WITNESSES

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant, are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Linda Leehman at lleehman@leg.state.vt.us