House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry

 

AGENDA

 

Room 49 and Zoom

January 21, 2025 - January 24, 2025

Last Updated 1/24/2025 3:24 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

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

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

10:00 AM                   House Floor

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Small Group DEI Training

Commerce, Government Operations, Agriculture

 

2:00 PM                   Capitol Police Security Briefing

Due to the sensitive nature of this meeting, it will not be live streamed

Agatha Kessler, Sergeant-At-Arms, Vermont State House

John Poleway, Chief, Capitol Police Department

 

3:00 PM                   Break

 

3:15 PM                   Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance

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

Chanin Hill , Four Hills Farm, Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance Board

Tucker Purchase, Partner, Fairmont Farms

Amanda St. Pierre, Pleasant Valley Farms, Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance

Walter Gladstone, Newmont Farm, Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance

 

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

9:30 AM                   Agriculture Development Grants Final Report

Meat, maple, produce

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

Madison Berry, Grant Program Manager of Agricultural Development Division, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

10:30 AM                   Break

 

10:45 AM                   Clean Water Enforcement Dispute

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

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Vermont's Agricultural and Food System Overview Panel #1

Overview of Vermont's food system: the data

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

Ellen Kahler, Executive Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

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

 

2:50 PM                   Adjourn

 

3:00 PM                   House Floor

 

3:45 PM                   Legislative Briefing

House Chamber

 

Thursday, January 23, 2025

10:00 AM                   High Level Report Overview

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

 

11:00 AM                   Committee Discussion

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee on Lake Champlain's Future

Karina Dailey, Vice Chair, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

Breck Bowden, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

Hilary Solomon, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee, Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District

Bob Fischer, Water Facility Operator, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee

Lori Fisher, Executive Director, Lake Champlain Committee

Denise Smith, Vermont Citizens Advisory Committee Chair

 

2:00 PM                   Vermont Land Trust Presentation

Tracy Zschau, President, Vermont Land Trust

Allen Karnatz, Champlain Valley Project Director, Vermont Land Trust

 

2:50 PM                   Adjourn

 

3:00 PM                   House Floor

 

3:15 PM                   Ethics, Rules, Decorum Training

 

Friday, January 24, 2025

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

10:00 AM                   Vermont's Agricultural and Food System Overview Panel #1

Overview of development approach to Vermont's food system

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

Ellen Kahler, Executive Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

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

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   NOFA Introductions

Grace Oedel, Executive Director, NOFA-VT

Johanna Doren, Direct Markets and Local Food Access Program Director, NOFA-VT

Maddie Kempner, Policy Director, NOFA-VT

Jessica Hays Lucas, Grassroots Policy Organizer, NOFA-VT

Joe Bossen, Board Member, NOFA-VT

Becky Maden, Board Member, NOFA-VT

Melisa Oliva, Board Member, NOFA-VT

 

2:00 PM                   Forest Future's Roadmap

Oliver Pierson, Director of Forests, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

Luke McNally, Champlain Region Forester, Ruffed Grouse Society

Chris Brooks, CEO, VT Wood Pellet Company LLC

Abigail Long, Executive Director, Kingdom Trails Association, East Burke

Allan Thompson, Certified Wildlife Biologist and Licensed Forester, Vermont Woodlands Association

 

3:00 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