[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6079210,"mediaKeyId","2956210-9cfd42311c3e953f479046441fe55108","parentId",2956210,"title","Students brief committee on Vermonters Feeding Vermonters program, citing benefits and funding shortfalls","audioSeconds",989,"startMs",2059000,"endMs",3048000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2956210-9cfd42311c3e953f479046441fe55108&start=2059&end=3048","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2956210-9cfd42311c3e953f479046441fe55108/thumbnail_2059000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6079210/Vermont/Students-brief-committee-on-Vermonters-Feeding-Vermonters-program-citing-benefits-and-funding-shortfalls","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6079210-7faa84cd81d2c68ec53416ebaf50c9f9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770822235&Signature=dS1o90kXBTOnUJ75wuxocTR-ZeCbKzL30gG~9V~I8Q9wmksxVSafSxrewqllS0RkAzM9J8vJykwB0BPKM7S1j0ORgKqqjbCpUq4oPVBQdiaN50t82mLygW5M0Dke7xH~v2qRgT-lrBxqRtUpTrRmelxbKMzPav1VU2gAfDgIXm41HqaC~FgSazvttsROgASPCwoJ7Zks3Ce7VU1h-WOpaJMQy3y66oK~-UkFR3Rr6JlHO-enQx-YYNdDW3vgqFtm8hweWHOtwR2I-g-0sOv9o8XMmTk9t52~iRKQwn50M5vG86lg6fmKEtaqY2yceYQZ~oV3ZLxmkz~5rwo0mXZGhQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-11T04:01:52.037Z","article","University of Vermont students told the House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry that the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters program supports local farmers and food security but faces ongoing funding and logistical challenges.

Amanda Hudson, presenting for the student team, said the program — established in 2018 by the Vermont Food Bank — operates through three components: large‑scale wholesale purchasing, mini‑grants to local network partners and culturally responsive farm‑share CSAs. \"One of the most consistent challenges has been limited and unstable funding,\" Amanda Hudson said, summarizing the students’ research and interviews.

The students said H.167 seeks permanent, ongoing appropriations from the Agency of Agriculture to sustain the program. They reported that the program has worked with about 299 participating farms, purchased some 104 types of crops and contributed an estimated $3,800,000 to the Vermont economy (figures cited from program reports and the students’ brief). The students said the program gives farmers early‑season guaranteed contracts at fair market prices and helps keep produce in Vermont’s supply chain.

Students reviewed benefits and challenges. Benefits included steady market opportunities for producers, access to nutritious and culturally appropriate foods for partner organizations, and local economic multiplier effects. Challenges included unstable funding that limits purchasing and mini‑grant support, scale mismatches for small diversified farms that cannot meet wholesale minimums, transportation constraints (many small farms lack refrigerated trucks), limited staffing at community receiving sites and seasonal gaps in availability, especially April to June.

The students compared Vermont’s model with other states. They said Maine’s \"Mainers Feeding Mainers\" channels administration through a single, large food bank and has a permanent $1,000,000 allocation in the Maine Department of Agriculture budget; Rhode Island’s Hope’s Harvest has shifted toward an online platform called Market Mobile that lets producers list product and receive payment directly after USDA funding changes; and New Mexico’s regional program relies heavily on USDA local purchase funds. The students also noted Seattle’s sweetened beverage tax as an example of a local dedicated revenue stream; they cited a 2021 Seattle figure of about $20.3 million in revenue and a committee member referenced a Vermont estimate that a 2¢ per‑ounce tax could raise roughly $30 million annually.

Students and committee members discussed contract flexibility when crops are lost to weather: presenters said contracts are often flexible and the Vermont Food Bank works with producers to accept substitute crops where feasible. Representative John O'Brien asked how much of the Vermont Food Bank’s distribution comes from in‑state farms; presenters gave a partial figure for the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters stream (about 2.3 million pounds of food cited for a recent year) and said a full statewide distribution breakdown was not included in their briefing and could be provided on follow‑up.

Presenters recommended stable, dedicated funding to expand purchases and mini‑grant support, reduce administrative burden on individual partners and help cover transportation and storage costs. They suggested studying alternative funding mechanisms used elsewhere and exploring digital ordering or marketplace platforms to reduce administrative friction.

The committee did not vote on funding during the hearing; members continued to question students and staff and requested follow‑up information about program volumes, seasonality and contract language.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Agriculture – 2025-04-10 – 10:00AM","oneSentenceSummary","University of Vermont students summarized the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters program, reporting stable markets for some farmers and an estimated $3.8 million local economic contribution but noting logistical barriers and uncertain funding; they flagged several alternative funding and delivery models used in other states.","taxTitle","Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",36721,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6079215,"UVM students outline PFAS risks and trade-offs for Vermont biosolids management",882,376000,1258000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2956210-9cfd42311c3e953f479046441fe55108&start=376&end=1258","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2956210-9cfd42311c3e953f479046441fe55108/thumbnail_376000.jpg","/articles/6079215/Vermont/UVM-students-outline-PFAS-risks-and-trade-offs-for-Vermont-biosolids-management","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6079215-fd7732f6c0755ee685d761de3c6830f9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770822235&Signature=NGO2xA6cMDHfJJrr2-2EonRLViaSp00Guy21mukE81Z4zcwUs7OhcdOZ01t7-vPapaq6kNmcHamp9gRpWknH9Sa~E06RTzNDCnMTqxq8bRES2TpIikaaoCtJnWl6sRmKYED8YqPU0gZ9uSc4SrxEolukCu0qnqCrkK4QRAMJRrcBuTbCMVxCWCqJMssgkPnopT5b9VQZ~C-JlBgnsCg-pZqN2lzxz9mYyzqTZOJn6rSlZtnRGCKe0O1CDfKnzS1y6yJj20IviIIHglLW0RMm2z3hmqWCUM2mTWICcstuKSjkvxZiQAs1Gx3rdfwDEnhsmtSenWz5oksOdr-0nzlOrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","University of Vermont students told the House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry on Tuesday that PFAS chemicals in sewage sludge create persistent contamination risks and that Vermont faces difficult trade-offs among three main disposal options.

The students, led by Megan Knight, presented options that state and municipal leaders must weigh: continuing land application of biosolids, expanding landfill capacity or using incineration—each with cost, capacity and environmental trade-offs. The students noted that the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation issued interim guidance in 2024 and that legislation introduced in 2025 (Bill 292) would ban land application of sewage sludge; another bill (Bill 238) that passed the House would phase out PFAS in consumer products.

PFAS are a large class of synthetic chemicals that resist environmental breakdown. \"There are thousands of different PFAS and they are synthetic chemicals ... and they break down really slowly in natural environments,\" Megan Knight said, describing how PFAS accumulate in soil and water and concentrate in biosolids at wastewater treatment plants. The students said that when those biosolids are applied to land, PFAS can leach into groundwater or enter the food chain via crops and livestock.

The presentation summarized the three common disposal approaches and the trade-offs the students documented. Land application is the most common U.S. method and a common Vermont practice; the students said roughly 60% of biosolids nationwide were applied to land in 2023 and that Vermont’s in‑state data show a majority of the state’s biosolids are land applied (the students’ slide said over 70%). They described the benefits: lower cost, lower carbon emissions and nutrient recycling for agriculture. They also flagged the uncertainties: the health risks depend on PFAS concentration, crop type and proximity to water. The students said regulatory monitoring and soil testing would be necessary to manage risk but would add administrative and laboratory expense.

Landfilling, the students said, can contain PFAS where properly engineered liners and leachate controls exist; Vermont currently landfills a portion of sludge in-state (the students’ slides cited about 22%) and ships some out of state (about 5%). But landfill capacity is limited: the presentation said Vermont has one municipal landfill with roughly 20 years of remaining capacity. Representative Lehi Lipsky pressed that containment options must exist for wastewater plants to comply if land application were restricted. \"A containment option must exist or we're going to be in violation virtually every sewage plant,\" Lipsky said, describing engineers’ concerns about storage and transport contracts.

Incineration destroys PFAS when conditions are sufficient, the students said, but it is the most costly option and Vermont lacks in‑state incineration facilities capable of reliably treating PFAS. The students noted that about 14% of biosolids nationwide are incinerated and that shipping sludge out of state for incineration raises spill and transport risks.

On policy responses, the students outlined state actions elsewhere in the country: Maine and Connecticut have restricted biosolid use; several states employ tiered PFOS-based regulatory thresholds; and Vermont’s interim strategy (2024) and the 2025 bills are part of a broader, uneven national response. They recommended more research and a cost‑benefit analysis for Vermont that includes short‑ and long‑term disposal strategies, storage/containment options (including monofill concepts or lined containment) and development or adoption of emerging treatment technologies.

Committee members asked operational and exposure questions. Representative Richard Nelson asked whether students would apply biosolids to their own gardens; Nelson said, \"I will not put it on my land and feed it to my cows,\" underscoring local hesitation about land application. Students and committee members discussed the limited state landfill capacity, the economics of exporting biosolids for treatment or disposal, and the need to clarify how much PFAS remains in treated effluent versus biosolids.

The students recommended that Vermont consider interim containment or regional containment districts while researching long‑term options and urged more state investment in monitoring and cost analyses. They did not propose a single preferred immediate solution, saying that each disposal pathway carries material trade-offs and fiscal implications.

The committee did not take formal action during the presentation; members signaled follow‑up questions and requested additional technical details and local cost estimates.

","University of Vermont students presented three common disposal pathways for sewage sludge—land application, landfilling and incineration—flagging trade-offs, regulatory uncertainty and gaps in capacity while noting recent state guidance and pending legislation aimed at reducing PFAS in the waste stream.","actionData","errors"]

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Students brief committee on Vermonters Feeding Vermonters program, citing benefits and funding shortfalls

UVM students outline PFAS risks and trade-offs for Vermont biosolids management