Vermont agriculture agency says H.167 workable but flags staffing, reporting needs

Nicole Dubuque, chief operating officer of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, and Trevor Lowell, assistant director of the agency's Agricultural Development Division, told state legislators that they "conceptually agree with the bill" but want clearer language on who will perform reporting and how administrative work will be funded.

The conversation at a state legislative committee meeting focused on H.167, the bill that would establish the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters grant program and appropriate funds to support local food purchases distributed through the Vermont Food Bank. Dubuque and Lowell described two operational models: (1) the agency as a funding conduit with the Vermont Food Bank responsible for collecting and providing data, which would create a low administrative burden for the agency; or (2) the agency taking a hands-on role in monitoring subgrants, which would demand substantially more staff time.

"We at the agency, conceptually agree with the bill," Dubuque said, while noting capacity constraints in the grants and contracts team and the agency's business office. Lowell said the work described in the bill "is well within our wheelhouse," but emphasized that exact staff time depends on how reporting and subgrant oversight are defined.

Lawmakers and agency staff identified specific capacity and compliance issues that could affect implementation. Agency staff explained that administering grants involves multiple teams: an internal grants-and-contracts unit that drafts agreements and collects required vendor documentation, and a business office that processes payments through the state's payment systems. Dubuque added that many agency positions are partially funded by federal grants and therefore cannot automatically be reassigned to new state programs without replacing federal funding or providing administrative funding.

Lowell described a range of implementation scenarios. If the Vermont Food Bank collects subgrant-level data and provides a consolidated report to the agency, "the burden of providing that report could be very low," he said. If the agency must compile and verify detailed subgrant activity, "that's a lot more work on our end." He cited recent programs as context: the meat-and-maple program required administrative funds within its appropriation and drew roughly 400 applicants, while Working Lands grants are competitive and are managed by two full-time staff within that program.

Representative O'Brien noted the bill is "part of the $5,000,000 ask." Representative Richard Basel (first reference used with last name as provided in the transcript) clarified his understanding that Vermonters Feeding Vermonters itself is a $2,000,000 request within that larger package. Agency staff agreed that the details of appropriation language and reporting requirements will determine whether additional administrative funding or a new or partially funded FTE would be needed; estimates discussed during the hearing ranged from a small percentage of the appropriation for administration up to the equivalent of a half-time or full-time position depending on scope.

Agency staff also flagged legal and administrative compliance tasks that could increase workload, including the state's procurement and contracting requirements and tracking obligations under the Environmental Justice Act for certain programs. Lowell and Dubuque said there is precedent for the agency to pass funds through to nonprofits and to monitor compliance, citing prior examples such as agreements with Salvation Farms and the Sustainable Jobs Fund.

Representatives and agency staff discussed possible next steps. Several lawmakers suggested amending bill language to clarify whether the agency is expected only to channel funds and accept a consolidated report from the Vermont Food Bank, or to actively manage subgranting and data collection. No formal vote or committee decision occurred during the discussion; agency staff said they would follow up with legislators to refine operational details.

Ending: The hearing closed with agency officials and lawmakers agreeing to continue discussions on the bill's language and funding structure to minimize administrative burden while ensuring accountability and reporting for funds intended to increase local food purchases through the Vermont Food Bank and its partners.