Senate Committee on Agriculture

 

AGENDA

 

Room 28 and Zoom

January 20, 2026 - January 23, 2026

Last Updated 1/23/2026 10:58 AM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/senate-agriculture.

Tuesday, January 20, 2026

9:30 AM                   Senate Floor

 

10:00 AM                   Solar on Vermont Agricultural Land

Peter Sterling, Executive Director, Renewable Energy Vermont

 

10:30 AM                   Solar on Vermont Agricultural Land

Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Ari Rockland-Miller, Senior Agricultural Development Coordinator, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Alex DePillis, Energy and Climate, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

-                                   Adjourn

 

1:00 PM                   Governor's Budget Address

House Chamber

 

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

9:00 AM                   Vermont Conservation Districts

Michelle Monroe, Executive Director, Vermont Association of Conservation Districts

Lauren Weston, District Manager, Franklin County Natural Resources Conservation District - Zoom

Michael Fernandez, District Manager, Bennington County Conservation District - Zoom

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

Katie Stiles, District Manager Rutland Natural Resources Conservation District

 

10:00 AM                   Break

 

10:10 AM                   Vermont Farm Bureau

Mary White, President, Vermont Farm Bureau

Amber Perry, Policy Director, Vermont Farm Bureau

 

10:30 AM                   Break

 

10:45 AM                   Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee on Lake Champlain's Future

Karina Dailey, Chair, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

Denise Smith, Co-Chair, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

Alison Spasyk, Member, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

Breck Bowden, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee - Zoom

Andrew Milliken, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

Bob Fischer, Water Facility Operator, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

Lori Fisher, Member, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee - Zoom

 

-                                   Adjourn

 

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

 

Thursday, January 22, 2026

9:00 AM                   Farm to Plate Investment Program

Ellen Kahler, Executive Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

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

 

10:30 AM                   Break

 

10:45 AM                   Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance

Kevin Kouri, Director of Nutrition and Sales, Phoenix Feeds and Nutrition

Stephanie Pope, Iroquois Acres Farm

Ferdinand Waibel, Brouillette Farms

David Defreest, Defreest Farms, Warren, VT

Jenne Hull, Riverview Farm, Franklin, VT

Bradley St. Pierre, Pleasant Valley Farm, Richford

Kylie Quesnel Chittenden, Richville Farms, Shoreham, VT

Oliver Manning, Manning Dairy Farm, St. Albans, VT

Lance Wood, Woodnotch Dairy, Shoreham, VT

Megan Rowell, Green Mountain Farm, Sheldon, VT

Skylar Blaney, Green Mountain Farm, Sheldon, VT

Emma Shouldice, Lobbyist, Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance

Elaine Brisson, Daona Farm, Shoreham, VT

 

-                                   Adjourn

 

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

 

Friday, January 23, 2026

9:00 AM                   Farmers Watershed Alliance

Scott Magnan, Board Chair, Farmers Watershed Alliance

Larry Gervais, Gervais Family Farm, Farmers Watershed Alliance - Zoom

Tim Magnant, Retired Farmer

 

10:00 AM                   Connecticut River Watershed Farmers Alliance

Elizabeth Kennett, Owner, Liberty Hill Farm

Paul Doton, Dairy Farmer and Board Chair, Connecticut River Watershed Farmers Alliance

Howard Prussak, High Meadows Farm

Tim Taylor, Crossroad Farm

Walter Gladstone, Newmont Farm, Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance

Bill Emmons, Cloudland Farm

Mike Snow, Executive Director, Connecticut River Watershed Farmers Alliance, Post Mills Eggs and Grain

 

11:15 AM                   Adjourn

 

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.

 

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

 Linda Leehman at Linda.Leehman@vtleg.gov

9:55 AM                   Break