House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry

 

AGENDA

 

Room 49 and Zoom

April 15, 2025 - April 18, 2025

Last Updated 4/16/2025 8:59 AM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-agriculture-food-resiliency-and-forestry.

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

10:00 AM                   House Floor and Caucus

 

11:15 AM                   S. 60 - An act relating to establishing the Farm Security Special Fund to provide grants for farm losses due to weather conditions

Jackie Folsom, President, Vermont Farm Bureau

Jake Jacobs, Risk Management Outreach Specialist and Farm Teams Advisor, White River Natural Resource Conservation District

 

12:05 PM                   Lunch

 

1:10 PM                   Food Hubs Overview

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

Lindsey Berk, Executive Director, Addison County Relocalization Network

Jon Ramsay, Executive Director, Center for an Agricultural Economy

Richard Berkfield, Executive Director, Food Connects

Catherine Cusack, Executive  Director, Green Mountain Farm to School

Travis Marcotte, Executive Director, Intervale Center

Heidi Lynch, Executive Director, Vermont Farmers Food Center

Hannah Sessions, Owner, Blue Ledge Farm

Amy Huyffer, Strafford Organic Creamery

Eli Hersh, Honey Field Farm

 

2:45 PM                   Break

 

3:00 PM                   H. 326 - An act relating to the regulation of the use of rodenticides

Fish & Wildlife Testimony

John Austin, Wildlife Division Director, Department of Fish and Wildlife

Brehan Furfey, Furbearer Project Leader, Department of Fish and Wildlife

 

3:45 PM                   Adjourn

 

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

9:15 AM                   Committee Discussion

 

9:30 AM                   S. 60 - An act relating to establishing the Farm Security Special Fund to provide grants for farm losses due to weather conditions

Dana Doran, Executive Director, Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

Maddie Kempner, Policy Director, NOFA-VT

Mary White, Farm & Crop Insurance Agent, Vice President, Vermont Farm Bureau

 

10:30 AM                   Break

 

10:45 AM                   S. 60 - An act relating to establishing the Farm Security Special Fund to provide grants for farm losses due to weather conditions

Mark-up

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

 

11:30 AM                   H. 326 - An act relating to the regulation of the use of rodenticides

Committee Discussion

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   House Floor

 

4:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

Thursday, April 17, 2025

9:00 AM                   Committee Discussion

 

9:30 AM                   H. 326 - An act relating to the regulation of the use of rodenticides

Tyler Hawkins, Pest-End

David Huber, Deputy Director Public Health and Agriculture Resources, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

10:30 AM                   S. 60 - An act relating to establishing the Farm Security Special Fund to provide grants for farm losses due to weather conditions

Committee Discussion and Possible Vote

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

 

11:00 AM                   Break

 

11:15 AM                   Vermont Forest Products Association

Gwynn Zakov, Lobbyist, Vermont Forest Products Association

Colleen Goodridge, Vice President, Vermont Forest Products Association

Steve Hardy, Forester, Green Mountain Forestry

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   House Floor

 

4:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

Friday, April 18, 2025

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

11:00 AM                   Committee Discussion

TBD

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   S. 45 - An act relating to protection from nuisance suits for agricultural activities

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

 

1:45 PM                   Break

 

2:00 PM                   Food Hubs Overview

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

Seth Wolcott-MacCausland, Pumpkin Village Foods

Annie Meyers, Myers Produce

Kathy Killam, Killam Sales & Distribution

 

3:30 PM                   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.

 

Should you require accessibility services, please click here and note that requests should be made 48 hours in advance of testimony.

 

 

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Sydonia Axis Lary at slary@leg.state.vt.us