Stakeholders ask Legislature to extend CAFO advisory group, fund third‑party inspections and training

Jared Carpenter, a representative of the Lake Champlain Committee, told the Legislature’s Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry committee that stakeholders who helped implement Act 67 want the working group that advised on CAFO permitting extended and formalized in statute. Carpenter said the group — composed of farmers, technical service providers and environmental organizations — met about half of eight sessions and should continue meeting quarterly to monitor implementation and “keep that dialogue moving forward.”

The request includes a separate ask that the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) contract a third‑party consultant to develop uniform inspection standards and deliver shared training for ANR and Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (AAFM) staff. Carpenter said the consultant should accompany roughly 10 initial inspections to help align practice across the agencies and build confidence among farmers.

“It’s important not to end that dialogue and to keep that dialogue moving forward as this process moves forward,” Carpenter said.

Michael Grady, presenting draft statutory language, described the consultant provision and the statutory design stakeholders seek: a working group with five livestock farmers (appointed by the Speaker of the…