The Senate Agriculture Committee opened its session with procedural remarks and a statement of priorities from the committee chair, who said the panel will prioritize agricultural outcomes over partisan politics.

“I just think it’s a respect thing for the people that come,” the Senate Agriculture Committee chair said, urging members to be on time, respectful to one another and respectful to witnesses. “We are the Senate Agriculture Committee. We’re not a political action committee. We are, as best of my ability, gonna stay away from politics. We’re going to be about agriculture.”

The chair said the committee intends to evaluate bills on whether they are agricultural decisions and whether they serve people who make their living in agriculture. The chair outlined an open process for considering bills: items will be placed “on the wall” for members to view, witnesses will be invited, and the committee will aim to hear both sides before taking up measures. The chair also said he wants members to ask for additional witnesses or site visits when they do not feel sufficiently informed.

The chair identified three substantive priorities the committee expects to address this session. First, he said he wants to develop a pricing structure that “we can actually get [farmers] paid for their product, mainly milk,” calling the proposal large and likely to extend beyond a single year of work. Second, he highlighted a previous session’s action on rodenticides and reported that science continues to show problems, indicating the issue will return to the committee’s agenda. Third, he emphasized broader support for all farmers in Vermont, not only dairy producers, and framed farming as central to the state’s landscape and economy.

A committee member described wildlife advocates’ continued concerns about rodenticides and said the science “is coming back that there’s still a problem.” The same speaker added a local-food anecdote about a nearby organic Jersey farm that “sells it raw” but cannot legally sell raw milk to a local café, noting the farmer receives insufficient pay and that local markets and regulatory limits are part of the committee’s concern.

Members also discussed logistics for upcoming meetings. The chair said a training scheduled for next Tuesday (reported as 10 a.m.–11 a.m.) will likely delay that day’s committee start to about 11:15 a.m.; the committee’s regular Wednesday start was reported as 9 a.m. The chair said he will circulate agendas on Mondays and post materials to the committee’s webpage and invited members to confirm contact information for building evacuation procedures.

No formal motions, votes, or policy enactments occurred at this organizational meeting. The remarks were limited to committee rules, scheduling, and the chair’s stated priorities; committee members asked questions and offered brief comments. The chair acknowledged former committee leadership and said he will rely on returning members’ experience as the committee works through the session’s bills.

Looking ahead, the chair said some bills will be triaged and may not receive committee time, while others — including the proposed milk-pricing work and rodenticide follow-ups — will receive sustained attention. He asked members to seek additional witnesses or site visits where needed so decisions are made on the best available information.