House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry

 

AGENDA

 

Room 49 and Zoom

February 11, 2025 - February 14, 2025

Last Updated 3/19/2025 9:38 AM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

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

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

10:00 AM                   House Floor and Caucuses

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Committee Discussion

 

1:30 PM                   Avian Flu Update

This is a joint hearing with House Healthcare. It will be hosted in Room 10 and live streamed to the House Agriculture Youtube Channel

Dr. Mark Levine, M.D., Commissioner, Vermont Department of Health

E.B. Flory, Director, Food Safety and Consumer Protection, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

 

2:30 PM                   Break

 

2:45 PM                   Timber Trespass Report

Discussion

Dana Doran, Executive Director, Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast

Sam Lincoln, President, Lincoln Farm Timber Harvesting

 

3:30 PM                   Universal School Meals

Joint Fiscal Office overview

Julia Richter, Senior Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office

 

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

9:00 AM                   H. 167 - An act relating to establishing the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters Grant at the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Legislative counsel walk through

Rep. Esme Cole, Sponsor

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

 

9:30 AM                   H. 167 - An act relating to establishing the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters Grant at the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Vermont Foodbank Funding Request

John Sayles, CEO, Vermont Foodbank

Carrie Stahler, Government and Public Affairs Officer, Vermont Foodbank

Michelle Wallace, Director of Community Health Programs, Vermont Foodbank

 

10:30 AM                   Break

 

10:40 AM                   Viticulture Update

David Keck, Owner, Stella 14 Wines

Steven Wilson, Owner, VT Vineyards

 

11:30 AM                   Outdoor Recreation Day

Nick Bennette, Chair, Vermont Trails and Greenways Council

Tom Lepesqueur, Co-Owner, L & D Trailworks

James Patterson, Co-owner, L & D Trailworks

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Vermont Arts Council

Vermont Female Farmers photo series discussion

Juan Carlos González, Photographer, Vermont Female Farmers

Deirdre Connelly, Operations Specialist, Vermont Arts Council

 

1:15 PM                   Farm to School Awareness Day

Dana Hudson, Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network, Shelburne Farms

Gina Clithero, Farm to Institution Program Manager, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Sabrina McDonough, Teacher, Shrewsbury Mountain School

Reeve Basom, Teacher, Center for an Agricultural Economy

Conor Floyd, Grant Program Manager for Child Nutrition Programs, Agency of Education

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

 Bob Hildebrand, SNS Food Service Director, The Abbey Group

John Buck, Buck Family Maple

Joe Bossen, Owner, Vermont Bean Crafters and Vermont All Souls

Patrick  Ackerman- Hovis, Institutional Sales Associate, Food Connects

Kayla Strom, Farm to School Programs Coordinator, NOFA-VT

 

2:50 PM                   Adjourn

 

3:00 PM                   House Floor

 

Thursday, February 13, 2025

9:15 AM                   Working Lands Enterprise Initiative

Alyson Eastman, Deputy Secretary, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Alisha Utter, Vice-Chair, Working Lands Enterprise Initiative

Elizabeth Sipple, Program Lead, Working Lands Enterprise Initiative

Clare Salerno, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

Danielle Fitzko, Commissioner, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

Elisabeth Nance, Designee, Agency of Commerce and Community Development

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

 

10:45 AM                   Break

 

11:00 AM                   Conservation Districts

Emily Finnegan, District Manager, Caledonia County Natural Resources Conservation District

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

Richard J Noel, Board Member, Franklin County Natural Resources Conservation District

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Extreme Weather Event Relief

Farmer introductions

Maddie Kempner, Policy Director, NOFA-VT

Bill Chidsey, Farmer

Jacob Powsner, Baird Farm, Chittenden, VT

Justin Rich, Farmer, Burnt Rock Farm

David Keck, Owner, Stella 14 Wines, Stella 14 Wines

 

1:45 PM                   Break

 

2:00 PM                   Current Use Overview

Forest Parks and Recreation - conclusion of testimony from February 6th

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

Katharine Servidio, Forest Economy Program Manager, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

 

2:50 PM                   Adjourn

 

3:00 PM                   House Floor

 

Friday, February 14, 2025

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

10:30 AM                   Vermont Housing and Conservation Coalition

Allen Karnatz, Champlain Valley Project Director, Vermont Land Trust

Becca Knouss, Owner, The Goat Project

Mike Audet, Owner, Ledge Haven Farm

Katie Rose Leonard, Owner, Head Over Fields Farm

Julie Curtain, Director of Homeownership, Champlain Housing Trust

 

11:30 AM                   Universal School Meals

Budget Impact

Julia Richter, Senior Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office

 

11:45 AM                   Committee Discussion

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   Heavy Cut Law and Acceptable Management Practices

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

David Wilcox, Forester, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

 

2:00 PM                   Break

 

2:15 PM                   Current Use Advisory Board

Jill Remick, Director of Property Valuation and Review, Department of Taxes

 

3:00 PM                   Universal School Meals

Agency of Education

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

 

3:30 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