House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry

 

AGENDA

 

Room 49 and Zoom

March 10, 2026 - March 13, 2026

Last Updated 3/11/2026 7:30 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

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

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

10:00 AM                   House Floor and Caucuses

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   H. 403 - An act relating to fair labor standards and housing standards for agricultural workers

Maddie Kempner, Policy Director, NOFA-VT

 

1:40 PM                   H. 536 - An act relating to toxic heavy metals in baby food products

Craig Felner, Director of Government Affairs, Infant Nutrition Council of America (INCA)

 

2:20 PM                   Break

 

2:30 PM                   H. 758 - An act relating to banning the use of rodenticides

Daniel Wadyka, V.P. Quality Assurance, Food Safety and Regulatory, Cabot Creamery

 

3:00 PM                   26-0787 - An act relating to the regulation of forestry under Act 250

Bill mark up and committee discussion

Ellen Czajkowski, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel - Invited

 

3:20 PM                   26-0772 - An act relating to municipal regulation of agriculture

Committee discussion

Ellen Czajkowski, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Bradley Showman, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

4:00 PM                   H. 739 - An act relating to prohibiting the use and sale of the herbicide paraquat

Committee discussion

Bradley Showman, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

4:30 PM                   Adjourn

 

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

9:30 AM                   H. 403 - An act relating to fair labor standards and housing standards for agricultural workers

Bill mark up and possible vote

Sophie Zdatny, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

10:00 AM                   H. 758 - An act relating to banning the use of rodenticides

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

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

Dr. Rosalind Renfrew, Wildlife Diversity Program Manager, Department of Fish and Wildlife

Steve Dwinell, Director, Plant Industry Division, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

David Huber, Deputy Director, Plant Industry Division, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

10:40 AM                   26-0770 - An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects

Josh Kelly, Solid Waste Program Manager, Waste Management and Prevention Division, Department of Environmental Conservation, Agency of Natural Resources

 

11:10 AM                   Break

 

11:20 AM                   H. 537 - An act relating to the right to grow vegetable gardens

HOA testimony and committee discussion

Christina  Jenson, Attorney, Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC - Zoom

Cameron Wood, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   H. 868 - An act relating to prohibiting the use of ultra-processed foods in school food programs

Harley Sterling, Food Nutrition Director, Windham Southeast Supervisory Union

Karyl Kent, Child Nutrition Director, Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District

Tim Morgan, Child Nutrition Policy & Training Lead, Hunger Free Vermont

Betsy Rosenbluth, Farm to School Director, Shelburne Farms, Vermont FEED - Zoom

 

2:00 PM                   Break

 

2:10 PM                   H. 868 - An act relating to prohibiting the use of ultra-processed foods in school food programs

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

 

2:30 PM                   H. 739 - An act relating to prohibiting the use and sale of the herbicide paraquat

Steve Dwinell, Director, Plant Industry Division, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

David Huber, Deputy Director, Plant Industry Division, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

2:40 PM                   H. 758 - An act relating to banning the use of rodenticides

Bradley Showman, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Steve Dwinell, Director, Plant Industry Division, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

David Huber, Deputy Director, Plant Industry Division, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

3:25 PM                   Break

 

3:30 PM                   House Floor

 

Thursday, March 12, 2026

9:00 AM                   H. 758 - An act relating to banning the use of rodenticides

Steven Belmain, Professor of Ecology, University of Greenwich (UK) Natural Resources Institute - Zoom

 

9:30 AM                   H. 537 - An act relating to the right to grow vegetable gardens

Bill mark up and vote

Cameron Wood, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

10:00 AM                   H. 739 - An act relating to prohibiting the use and sale of the herbicide paraquat

Bill mark up

Bradley Showman, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

10:30 AM                   H. 758 - An act relating to banning the use of rodenticides

Bill mark up and possible vote

Bradley Showman, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel - Invited

 

11:15 AM                   H. 536 - An act relating to toxic heavy metals in baby food products

Committee discussion

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   26-0770 - An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects

Marc Paquette, Chief, Weights and Measures, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Scott Dolan, Agriculture Weights & Measures Specialist, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

1:30 PM                   26-0770 - An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects

Patricia Brown, Board Member, Vermont Retail & Grocers Association

 

2:00 PM                   H. 403 - An act relating to fair labor standards and housing standards for agricultural workers

Sophie Zdatny, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

2:30 PM                   TBD

 

3:30 PM                   House Floor

 

Friday, March 13, 2026

9:15 AM                   H. 536 - An act relating to toxic heavy metals in baby food products

Katie McLinn, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel - Invited

 

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

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

 Patricia Ruddy at Patricia.Ruddy@vtleg.gov