§ 251. Definitions
For the purposes of this chapter:
(1) “Agricultural commodity” means any agricultural commodity, including apples, horticultural
crops, fruits and vegetables, poultry, maple syrup, Christmas trees, livestock, and
honey, either in their natural state or as processed by the producer. The term does
not include milk, timber, or timber products, other than Christmas trees.
(2) “Producer” means any individual, partnership, corporation, or other business entity
engaged within this State in the business of producing an agricultural commodity or
causing an agricultural commodity to be produced for any market. The term shall only
apply to persons who are not exempt under a marketing rule that gives special consideration
to exemptions for small producers.
(3) “Handler” means any person engaged in the operation of packing, grading, selling,
offering for sale, or marketing any marketable agricultural commodities, who as owner,
agent, or otherwise ships or causes an agricultural commodity to be shipped.
(4) “Processor” means any person engaged within this State in processing, or in the operation
of receiving, grading, packing, canning, freezing, dehydrating, fermenting, distilling,
extracting, preserving, grinding, crushing, or in any other way preserving or changing
the form of agricultural commodities for the purpose of marketing this commodity,
but shall not include a person engaged in manufacturing a different product from an
agricultural commodity.
(5) “Distributor” means any person engaged within this State in selling, offering for
sale, marketing, or distributing agricultural commodities that he or she has purchased
or acquired from a producer or other person or that he or she is marketing on behalf
of a producer or other person, whether as owner, agent, employee, broker, or otherwise,
but shall not include a retailer, except a retailer who purchases or acquires from,
or handles on behalf of, any producer or other person an agricultural commodity subject
to regulation by the marketing agreement or order covering the commodity.
(6) “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets or his or her designee.
(7) “Marketing rule” means a rule issued by the Board or commission pursuant to this chapter
prescribing rules governing the marketing for processing, the distribution, the sale
of, or the handling in any manner of any agricultural commodity sold in this State
during any specified period.
(8) “Wholesale” means the act of selling to retail vendors, commission merchants, producers,
wholesalers, handlers, processors, distributors, institutional users, or commercial
users mainly for resale or business use.
(9) “Board” means the Vermont Apple Marketing Board established by section 252 of this title.
(10) “Bushel” means 40 pounds.
(11) “Commodity marketing board” or “marketing board” means any agricultural commodity
marketing board established under section 253a of this title. (Added 1983, No. 250 (Adj. Sess.); amended 1985, No. 41, § 1, eff. May 11, 1985; 1993, No. 73, § 1, eff. June 10, 1993; 2003, No. 42, § 2, eff. May 27, 2003.)