Senate Committee on Agriculture

 

AGENDA

 

Room 28 and Zoom

February 4, 2025 - February 7, 2025

Last Updated 2/4/2025 11:35 AM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

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

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

9:30 AM                   Senate Floor Convenes

 

15 minutes after Senate adjourns                   Vermont Housing and Conservation Board

Introductions and Update

Gus Seelig, Executive Director, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board

Liz Gleason, Farm and Forest Viability Program Director, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board

Holly McClintock, Agricultural  Program Coordinator

 

11:00 AM                   Break

 

11:05 AM                   Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Agricultural Development Grants final report

FY24 Agricultural Development Division Grant Demographic       Report and Investment Data

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

 

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

9:00 AM                   Dairy Pricing

Bob Gray, Dairy Policy Advisor - Zoom

Bill Rowell, Board Member, Vermont Dairy Producers Alliance - Zoom

 

9:45 AM                   Young Farmers

Stephanie Pope, North Wind Acres Farm - Zoom

Bradley St. Pierre, Pleasant Valley Farm, Richford - Zoom

Keith Lanphear, Farmer, Lanphear Farm - Zoom

Kylie Chittenden, Vermont Dairy Producers Association member, Richville Farm - Zoom

Britney Cyr, Four Hills Farm - Zoom

 

10:45 AM                   Break

 

11:00 AM                   Federal Delegation

Update on agriculture-related issues at the federal level

Liam Fagan, Legislative Assistant, Office of Senator Bernie Sanders - Zoom

Ryan McLaren, Outreach Representative, Sen. Peter Welch

Thomas Renner, Community Liaison, Office of Congresswoman Becca Balint

 

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

Thursday, February 6, 2025

9:00 AM                   3Squares VT Awareness Day

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

Hayley Williams, Manager, Hardwick Farmers Market

Stoni Tomson, Owner, New Tradition Farm

Shannon "Krystale" Aloise, SNAP and Crop Cash participant

John Sayles, CEO, Vermont Foodbank

 

9:45 AM                   Vermont Farmers Food Center

 Introduction and overview

Heidi Lynch, Executive Director, Vermont Farmers Food Center

 

10:30 AM                   Break

 

10:45 AM                   To Be Scheduled

 

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

Friday, February 7, 2025

9:00 AM                   Farm Inputs

Feed, fertilizer, pesticides

Brad Lawes, Owner, Lawes Agricultural Services

Nate Choiniere, Nutrien Ag Solutions - Zoom

Steve Dwinnell, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

10:00 AM                   Break

 

10:15 AM                   Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition

Vijay Nazareth, Executive Director, Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition

 

11:15 AM                   Adjourn

 

11:30 AM                   Senate Convenes

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Linda Leehman at lleehman@leg.state.vt.us

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.