House Committee on Agriculture and Forestry

 

AGENDA

 

Room 49 and Zoom

February 8, 2022 - February 11, 2022

Last Updated 2/11/2022 11:20 AM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-agriculture-and-forestry.

Please note that closed captions/transcripts may not be completely error-free.

 

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

10:00 AM                   House  Floor

 

-                                   Caucuses and Lunch

 

2:45 PM                   Farm to School

Conor Floyd, Grant Program Manager for Child Nutrition Programs, Agency of Education

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

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

Helen Rortvedt, Farm to School Program Director, NOFA VT

 

3:45 PM                   Committee Adjourns

 

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

9:00 AM                   H. 626 - An act relating to the sale, use, or application of neonicotinoid pesticides

Dr. Samantha Alger, Research Affiliate, Plant and Soil Science Department, University of Vermont

Andrew Munkres, President, Vermont Beekeepers Association

Maddie Kempner, Policy Director, NOFA VT

 

10:15 AM                   Break

 

10:30 AM                   Vermont Housing and Conservation Coalition

Update

Abby White, Vice President for Strategic Communications, Vermont Land Trust

Guy Choiniere, Owner, Choiniere Family Farms

Julie Curtin, Director of Home Ownership, Champlain Housing Trust

Gregory Witscher, Co-owner, Understory Farm

Kelly Dolan, Coordinator, Vermont Migrant Education Program, UVM Extension

 

11:15 AM                   H. 704 - An act relating to the regulation of accessory on-farm businesses

Rep. Charles Kimbell, Sponsor

 

11:30 AM                   H. 705 - An act relating to prohibiting the running of livestock at large

Rep. Felisha Leffler, Sponsor

 

12:00 PM                   Committee Adjourns

 

1:00 PM                   Food Security

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

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

 

1:30 PM                   Committee  Discussion and Planning

 

2:00 PM                   AAFM Housekeeping bill

Cary Giguere, Policy Director, Public Health and Agricultural Resource Management, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Steve Collier, General Counsel, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

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

 

2:45 PM                   Committee Adjourns

 

3:00 PM                   House  Floor

 

Thursday, February 10, 2022

9:00 AM                   Working Lands Enterprise Initiative

Updates

Joint hearing with Senate Agriculture Committee

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

Lynn Ellen Schimoler, Program Manager, Working Lands Enterprise Initiative

Molly Mahar, President, Vermont Ski Areas Association

Charlie Hancock, Consulting Forester, North Woods Forestry

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

Randall Szott, Former Representative, Agency of Commerce and Community Development

Ellen Kahler, Executive Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Gus Seelig, Executive Director, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

Sarah Isham, Director of Agricultural Lending, Vermont Economic Development Authority

Steve Bick, Owner, Northeast Forests LLC

Joe Bossen, Owner, Vermont Bean Crafters and Vermont All Souls

 

10:30 AM                   Break

 

10:45 AM                   Rural Vermont and NOFA-VT

Updates and introductions

Joint hearing with Senate Agriculture Committee

Rev. Mark Hughes, Executive Director, Vermont Racial Justice Alliance

Graham Unangst-Rufehacht, Policy Director, Rural Vermont

Patricia Heck, Mystic Mountain Cannabis

Jen Daniels, Meristem Farms

Eduardo Jaime, Fine Bud Farms

Matt Leonetti,  , NurseGrown Organics

Josh Decatur, CEO

Ben Wilcox, Off Piste Farm

Charlotte Rootblum, Vermont Cannabis Coaching

Rick Fox, Meristem Farms

Maddie Kempner, Policy Director, NOFA VT

 

12:00 PM                   Committee Adjourns

 

1:00 PM                   House  Floor

 

15 minutes after Floor adjourns                   Governor's Proposed FY2023 Budget

Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

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

Kristin Freeman, Financial Manager, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

 

3:00 PM                   H. 566 - An act relating to the establishment of the Vermont Forest Future Program

Committee discussion

 

3:30 PM                   Committee Adjourns

 

Friday, February 11, 2022

9:30 AM                   House  Floor

 

15 minutes after Floor adjourns                   AAFM Housekeeping bill

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

Dr. Kristin Haas, State Vet, Director, Food Safety, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Steve Collier, General Counsel, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Cary Giguere, Policy Director, Public Health and Agricultural Resource Management, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

12:00 PM                   Committee Adjourns

 

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

 Kira Ecay at kecay@leg.state.vt.us