House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry

 

AGENDA

 

Room 49 and Zoom

February 4, 2025 - February 7, 2025

Last Updated 3/21/2025 2:49 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

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

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

10:00 AM                   House Floor and Caucuses

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Herd Management Technology

Dan Smith, Executive Director, Agritech Institute for Small Farms, Inc

Ben Notterman, Owner, Snug Valley Farm

 

2:00 PM                   Vermont Spay Neuter Incentive Program

Program update

Sue Skaskiw, VSNIP Administrator, VVSA Humane Society

 

3:00 PM                   H. 4 - An act relating to standards for the care of egg-laying hens

Introduction

Rep. Barbara Rachelson, Sponsor

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

 

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

9:00 AM                   Field Trip

Little River Timber Harvest

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Timber Trespass Report

Todd Daloz, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs, Attorney General's Office

Mike Carriveau, Concerned Citizen, Plainfield

 

1:45 PM                   Break

 

2:00 PM                   Federal Delegation

Introductions

Haley Pero, Outreach Director, Office of Senator Bernie Sanders

Ryan McLaren, Outreach Representative, Sen. Peter Welch

Thomas Renner, Community Liaison, Office of Congresswoman Becca Balint

 

2:50 PM                   Adjourn

 

3:00 PM                   House Floor

 

Thursday, February 6, 2025

9:30 AM                   3SquaresVT Awareness Day

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

Andrea Otto, Volunteer, Caledonia Farmers Market Association

Frances Bevrige, Capstone Participant

Christine Bourque, Blue Heron Farm

Elom Essiba, SNAP and Crop Cash participant

Carrie Stahler, Government and Public Affairs Officer, Vermont Foodbank

 

10:30 AM                   Break

 

10:40 AM                   Equine Industry Update

Mindy Hinsdale, Retired Horse Farmer, Vermont Horse Council

Heidi Krantz, Member, Vermont Horse Council

 

11:30 AM                   Committee Discussion

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Current Use

Forests Parks and Recreation

Keith Thompson, Private Lands Program Manager, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

 

2:00 PM                   Act 64 Clean Water Oversight

Laura DiPietro, Water Quality Division Director, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

2:50 PM                   Adjourn

 

3:00 PM                   House Floor

 

Friday, February 7, 2025

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

11:00 AM                   MOU Report

Laura DiPietro, Water Quality Division Director, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Julie Moore, Secretary, Agency of Natural Resources

 

11:45 AM                   Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition

Introductions

Vijay Nazareth, Executive Director, Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Land Use Review Board

Introductions

Janet Hurley, Chair, Land Use Review Board

Peter Gill, Executive Director, Land Use Review Board

 

1:30 PM                   Cannabis Control Board

James Pepper, Chair, Cannabis Control Board

Julie Hubbard, Board Member, Cannabis Control Board

Kyle Harris, Board Member, Cannabis Control Board

 

2:30 PM                   Break

 

2:45 PM                   Vermont Cannabis Equity Coalition

Rev. Mark Hughes, Executive Director, Co-Chair, Vermont Racial Justice Alliance, Health Equity Advisory Commission

Geoffrey Pizzutillo, Executive Director and CoFounder, Vermont Growers Association

Graham Unangst-Rufenacht, Policy Director, Rural Vermont

Amelia Machia, Co Founder, Green Mountain Patients' Alliance

Jessilyn Dolan, Co Founder, Green Mtn. Patients' Alliance

Jean Hamilton, Director of Program Development, Land Access and Opportunity Board

Ornella Matta-Figueroa, Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement, Land Access and Opportunity Board

 

4:00 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