House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry

 

AGENDA

 

Room 49 and Zoom

January 24, 2023 - January 27, 2023

Last Updated 1/27/2023 4:55 PM

 

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

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

10:00 AM                   House Floor

 

-                                   Caucuses

 

11:20 AM                   FY23 Budget Adjustment

Doug Farnham, Deputy Secretary, Agency of Administration

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Natural Resources Board

Discussing Report on Act 250 Jurisdiction over Agricultural Businesses

Sabina Haskell, Chair, Natural Resources Board

Peter Gill, Executive Director, Natural Resources Board

Alison Stone, General Counsel, Natural Resources Board

 

2:00 PM                   Break

 

2:15 PM                   Universal School Meals Campaign

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

 

3:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

9:15 AM                   Vermont Natural Resources Council

Introductions

Brian Shupe, Executive Director, Vermont Natural Resources Council

Jamey Fidel, General Counsel and Forest and Wildlife Program Director, Vermont Natural Resources Council, The Forest Partnership

Kati Gallagher, Sustainable Communities Program Director, Vermont Natural Resources Council

 

10:15 AM                   Break

 

10:30 AM                   Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Introductions

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

Glenn Evans, Director, Vermont Agriculture and Environmental Laboratory, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Universal School Meals

Updates from the School Nutrition Association

Harley Sterling, School Nutrition Director and President of SNAVT, Windham Northeast Supervisory Union

Gretchen Czaja, School Nutrition Director, Windsor Central Unified School District

Scott Fay, Director of Child Nutrition, Essex Westford School District

Erika Dolan, Harwood Unified Union School District, Vice President, School Nutrition Association of Vermont

Karyl Kent, School Nutrition Director, Lamoille North Supervisory Union

Doug Davis, Former School Nutrition Director, Burlington School District

 

2:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

3:00 PM                   House Floor

 

Thursday, January 26, 2023

9:00 AM                   Farm to Plate Report

Joint Hearing with Senate Agriculture. The meeting will be livestreamed via the Senate Agriculture YouTube channel.

Ellen Kahler, Executive Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Jake Claro, Farm to Plate Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Kevin Channell, Farm and Forest Services

Elaine Brisson, Daona Farm

Marc Brisson, Daona Farm

Roger Osinchuk, DVM

Chris Wagner, Green Dream Farm

Travis Whitcomb, Rhomanwai Farm

Jenne Hull, Follow a Farmer

Natasha Duarte, Director, Composting Association of Vermont

Chuck Wooster, Owner, Sunrise Farm

Becka Warren, Food Security Plan Project Manager, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

 

10:30 AM                   Break

 

10:45 AM                   Organic Dairy Farm Crisis

Joint Hearing with Senate Agriculture. This meeting will be livestreamed via the House Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry Committee YouTube channel.

Maddie Kempner, Policy Director, NOFA VT

Jen Miller, Farmer Services Director, NOFA-VT

Mike Thresher, Board member, NOFA-VT

Amanda Ellis-Thurber, Owner, Lilac Ridge Farm

Ross Thurber, Owner, Lilac Ridge Farm

Calvin Gould, Lilac Ridge Farm

Shaun Riordan, Co-owner, Grateful Morning Farm

Marcy Guillette, Organic Dairy Farmer

Peter Miller, Organic Farmer, Miller Farm

Leanna Compagna, Organic Dairy Farmer, Scholten Family Farm

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Introductions

E.B. Flory, Dairy Section Chief, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Dr. Kristin Haas, State Veterinarian, Director of Food Safety and Consumer Protection, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Steve Dwinell, Director, Public Health and Agricultural Resource Management, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

2:00 PM                   Break

 

2:10 PM                   Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Meeting continued

 

3:00 PM                   House Floor

Followed by Ethics Training for House Members

 

Friday, January 27, 2023

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

10:15 AM                   Climate Council Updates

Ryan Patch, Agriculture Climate and Land Use Policy Manager, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

11:15 AM                   Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

Discussion of Forest Fires and Opening Burning Statutes

Danielle Fitzko, Interim Commissioner, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Introductions

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

 

-                                   Adjourn

 

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

 Alaura Rich at arich@leg.state.vt.us