5/4 Call your Senator to vote against Sen. Vyhovsky’s amendment on the municipal exemption for farming today!
The Senate is voting on H.941 on Tuesday, May 5th - the bill that would reinstate the municipal exemption for farming. This issue is paramount this session because the Vermont Supreme Court granted all municipalities zoning powers in 2025 to decide where and what types of farming may and may not occur. The Senate must vote tomorrow in favor of H.941 to restore the municipal exemption for farming. However, a floor amendment from Senator Vyhovsky is also going to be considered that would:
Allow for zoning against raising livestock anywhere where more than 800 people per square mile live.
Allow municipalities not to allow anyone to raise more than 6 birds total.
Raise the income threshold for what’s protected as “farming” to $5,000 annual gross income.
ACTION NEEDED!
Call your Senator TODAY! Find the contact information of your Senator here.
SAMPLE LANGUAGE
Here is a sample message you can use to reach out to your Senator today.
Feel free to cut & paste into an email and/or read over the phone.
“Dear Vermont Senators,
I urge you to support H.941 to restore the municipal exemption for farming at a time when Vermont is pursuing denser housing in downtown villages without parallel protections for agricultural land. Vermont’s identity and resilience are rooted in its working landscape and homesteading traditions—values that are becoming more critical as global instability strains supply chains.
Recent geopolitical tensions have triggered a major energy crisis, sharply reducing fertilizer availability and driving up input and transportation costs. These pressures are going to raise prices for staples like beef, dairy, and produce. With Vermont importing roughly 86% of its food, strengthening local agriculture is not just cultural—it’s essential for food security.
I also strongly oppose any floor amendment that would allow zoning to prohibit livestock in areas above certain population densities, cap residents at raising no more than six birds, or raise the income threshold for what qualifies as protected “farming” to $5,000 annually. These provisions would undermine small-scale and homestead agriculture, restrict local food production, and erode the very resilience H.941 is intended to support.
Supporting H.941—and rejecting these restrictive amendments—is a practical step toward preserving Vermont’s farming capacity and ensuring the state can better withstand future disruptions.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]”
THANK YOU!