Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Law and Graduate School continues to lead impactful research and advocacy work through its innovative programs and partnerships. Recent highlights include:
Center for Agriculture and Food Systems Releases “State Farm to School Policy Handbook: 2002-2023”
Developed in partnership with the National Farm to School Network, the newly published “State Farm to School Policy Handbook: 2002-2023” is a vital tool for those seeking to enhance food systems through education and nutritional initiatives. The handbook identifies, summarizes and analyzes bills and resolutions introduced across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories. It provides a detailed snapshot of the evolving farm-to-school policy landscape.
Environmental Advocacy Clinic Brings Climate Science to Court
Vermont Law and Graduate School’s Environmental Advocacy Clinic filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Circuit) in Nebraska v. EPA, supporting the Environmental Protection Agency's latest limits on climate pollution from heavy-duty vehicles such as large trucks. This filing follows the clinic’s previous amicus brief submitted in December 2024, which endorsed the EPA’s standards for light- and medium-duty vehicles.
Healthy Food Policy Project Examines Cultural Food Policy in Hawaii
At the request of the Maui County Department of Agriculture, the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems’ Healthy Food Policy Project analyzed various laws supporting the production and consumption of cultural foods like ‘ulu (breadfruit) and kalo (taro). Maui County is highlighted as a model for advocates and policymakers nationwide interested in advancing legislation that supports locally grown, cultural foods. The Healthy Food Policy Project is a collaboration of the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at VLGS, the Public Health Law Center (PHLC), and the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health at the University of Connecticut.
New Resource Helps Guide Farmers Through Complex Seed Contracts
A new guide from the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law and Graduate School, authored by senior research fellow Emily Spiegel along with summer interns Julia Wickham JD’26 and Aija Zamurs, offers critical insights into the intricate technology use agreements employed by major seed companies. Seeds for Rent: The Farmers' Guide to Technology Use Agreements empowers farmers to make informed decisions by explaining detailed requirements and restrictions associated with these agreements by comparing contract terms among leading U.S. seed companies.
About Vermont Law and Graduate School:
Vermont Law and Graduate School, a private, independent institution, is home to a law school that offers ABA-accredited residential and online hybrid JD programs and a graduate school that offers master’s degrees and certificates in multiple disciplines, including programs offered by the Maverick Lloyd School for the Environment, the Center for Justice Reform and other graduate-level programs emphasizing the intersection of environmental justice, social justice and public policy. Both the law and graduate schools strongly feature experiential clinical and field work learning.
SOUTH ROYALTON, Vt. (April 17, 2025) — Vermont Law and Graduate School
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