Pleasant Valley Farms Permit MFO

ENTRY REGARDING MOTION

 

Title: Motion to Clarify & Dismiss (Motion 3)

Filer: Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets

Attorney: Thea J. Schwartz and Melanie Kehne

Filed Date: July 9, 2018

Response in Opposition filed on 07/25/2018 by Attorney Joan W. D. Donahue 

 for Appellant Pleasant Valley Farms, LLC 

The motion is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART.

Pleasant Valley Farms of Berkshire, LLC (“PVF”) is the owner and operator of several dairy 

farms in the northwestern Vermont towns of Berkshire, Richford, St. Albans, and Enosburg, 

including the Lumbra Farm, at 1567 Skunk Hollow Road in Berkshire, Vermont (“Lumbra Farm”). 

When the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (“AAFM”) denied PVF’s Notice of 

Intent to Comply (“NOIC”) with the General Permit for Medium Farm Operations, and instead 

determined that the Lumbra Farm should be governed by the rules and statutes covering large 

farm operations, PVF filed a timely appeal with this Court.

There are several motions pending before this Court. PVF filed a motion for summary 

judgment on July 5, 2018, to which AAFM filed an opposition memorandum and PVF filed a reply. 

However, before the Court addressed PVF’s summary judgment motion, AAFM filed a motion 

requesting that the Court dismiss or order PVF to clarify most of the Questions contained in its 

Statement of Questions. As part of its memorandum objecting to PVF’s summary judgment 

motion, AAFM also requested that the Court allow it additional time to respond to PVF’s 

summary judgment motion, after the Court has ruled upon AAFM’s motion for dismissal or 

clarification. On August 6, 2018, the Court granted that secondary part of AAFM’s request, 

determining that AAFM would have 15 days from the date of any ruling on its motion for dismissal 

or clarification to file an additional response to PVF’s summary judgment motion.

This Entry Order is issued solely to address AAFM’s pending motion for dismissal or 

clarification. For the reasons stated below, we GRANT AAFM’s motion and intend to rule upon 

PVF’s summary judgment motion after AAFM’s extended time to respond has elapsed.

STATE OF VERMONT

SUPERIOR COURT ENVIRONMENTAL DIVISION

Docket No. 26-3-18 Vtec
Pleasant Valley Farms MFO, No. 26-3-2-18 Vtec (EO on Motion to Dismiss or Clarify) (02-20-2019) Page 2 of 5.

Factual Background

The Court has determined that there are several material facts that appear to be 

uncontested by the parties. In certain instances, the material facts are somewhat lacking in 

clarity. However, the Court understands that the parties will assist the Court with any 

clarifications that they deem relevant to its consideration of the pending summary judgment 

request. We lay out a general factual background here for the sole purpose of understanding the 

pending motion to dismiss or clarify PVF’s Statement of Questions.

PVF has previously operated Lumbra Farm as a small farm operation where up to 195 

mature dairy cows and up to 280 youngstock or heifers have been stabled, confined, fed and 

maintained. Sometime prior to January 2018, PVF decided to plan an increase in its dairy farming 

operation at Lumbra Farm by increasing the size of its herd and barn. AAFM appears to represent 

that most or all of the expanded barn is used for the care, feeding and maintaining of the 

livestock. PVF disputes this fact but does not provide specific details of the use of the expanded 

barn.

By January 2018, PVF had received an authorization from the Vermont Agency of Natural 

Resources (“ANR”) to construct its planned barn expansion and thereafter completed the 

expansion. By this time, PVF had also expressed its intentions to increase its herd to between 

200 to 699 mature dairy cows and to between 300 to 999 youngstock or heifers. The actual 

livestock numbers at the Lumbra Farm at that time have not been specified by the parties.

On January 6, 2018, PVF submitted its NOIC with the General Permit for Medium Farm 

Operations, as defined in 6 V.S.A. § 4857(2). On the NOIC form that it submitted, PVF 

represented that the Lumbra Farm was then operating at livestock levels that constituted a small 

farm, as defined in 6 V.S.A. § 4857(3).

On January 9, 2018, AAFM officials conducted a site inspection at the Lumbra Farm, 

including its recently expanded barn. AAFM officials also interviewed PVF officials and employees 

and reviewed documents submitted by PVF in support of its NOIC and its application to ANR, 

Department of Environmental Conservation, for authorization to construct the barn expansion 

under a Vermont Construction General Permit (#3-9020).

On February 19, 2019, an AAFM official notified PVF that it had denied coverage for the 

Lumbra Farm under the Medium Farm Operation General Permit. The AAFM official advised that 

it based its denial upon a determination “that the expanded barn has been designed to house 

more than the [Large Farm Operation] threshold number of animals listed in 6 V.S.A. § 4851.” 

AAFM denial ltr., dated Feb. 19, 2018. No party has represented to the Court the specific 

livestock count at Lumbra Farm, as of the filing of the NOIC. Upon receiving AAFM’s denial letter, 

PVF filed a timely appeal with this Court.

Legal Analysis

The Statement of Questions limits the scope of review to the specific issues raised on 

appeal. V.R.E.C.P. 5(f). It performs a similar function to a civil complaint and requires only a 

“short, concise and plain statement that will establish the scope of appeal, and ultimately, the 

scope of the issues for trial.” In re Rivers Dev., LLC, Nos. 7-1-05 Vtec, 68-3-07 Vtec, slip op. at 15 
Pleasant Valley Farms MFO, No. 26-3-2-18 Vtec (EO on Motion to Dismiss or Clarify) (02-20-2019) Page 3 of 5.

(Vt. Envtl. Ct. Jan. 8, 2008) (Durkin, J.). Therefore, the questions must be sufficiently clear to give 

the Court and the other parties notice of the grounds on which the appellant’s claim rest. 

Reporter’s Notes, V.R.C.P. 8(a) (citing Conly v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 47 (1957)). Both the parties 

and the Court “are entitled to a statement of questions that is not vague or ambiguous, but is 

sufficiently definite so that they are able to know what issues to prepare for trial.” In re Unified 

Buddhist Church, Inc., Indirect Discharge Permit, No. 253-10-06 Vtec, slip op. at 5 (Vt. Envtl. Ct. 

May 11, 2007) (Wright, J.).

The general question presented by PVF’s appeal here is whether it’s planned livestock 

expansion at the Lumbra Farm satisfies the statutory requirements of being classified as a 

medium farm operation such that it may seek authorization to act under the General Permit for 

Medium Farm Operations, pursuant to 6 V.S.A. § 4858(c)(2). AAFM seeks dismissal of PVF’s 

Questions 1–3, and 6, which either seek a determination or rely upon a determination that the 

Lumbra Farm, at the time PVF filed its NOIC on January 6, 2018, “satisfied the definition of a Small 

Farm pursuant to 6 V.S.A. § 4857(3)?” PVF Statement of Questions, filed March 22, 2018, at 1–2

(hereinafter “PVF SoQ”).

AAFM asserts that PVF’s Questions 1–3, and 6 must be regarded as moot, based upon 

AAFM’s assertion that PVF admits through language in its SoQ that the livestock numbers at the 

Lumbra Farm have already exceeded the maximum allowed for small farms and are therefore 

within the limits for medium farms. As noted above, no party has provided the Court with an 

estimate of the exact livestock numbers, currently or in January 2018, at the Lumbra Farm. 

However, to say that PVF has “itself allege[d] that the animal numbers at the Lumbra Farm are 

between 200–699 dairy cows and 300–999 cow/calf pairs” is a misreading of PVF’s SoQ. 

In Question 2 and 3, PVF asserts that it had an “intent of expanding the animal numbers 

to between 200–699 Mature Dairy Cows and 300–999 Youngstock/Heifers . ..” PVF SoQ, at 1–2. 

We see no admission by the language used in these Questions that PVF had actually exceeded 

the livestock numbers at Lumbra Farm, particularly prior to the January 6, 2018 filing of its NOIC 

referenced in its Question 1.1

However, this clarification does not end our analysis of the appropriateness of 

Questions 1–3, and 6. We have not been presented with any allegation that the Lumbra Farm at 

any point up to the filing of its January 6th NOIC, had livestock numbers that exceeded the 

definitional limits for a small farm. While it appears that 6 V.S.A. § 4858(c)(2) makes relevant the 

factual question of whether the Lumbra Farm’s livestock numbers were below the small farm 

maximums on January 6, 2018, we have no evidence of a dispute that we must resolve. 

Therefore, because the principal question presented is whether Lumbra Farm can now qualify as 

a medium farm, or must it satisfy the requirements for a large farm, we conclude that Questions 

1–3, and 6 must be dismissed as being beyond the scope of the application presented in this 

appeal. We therefore GRANT AAFM’s motion with respect to these Questions.

 

1

 We note that PVF appears to concede in Questions 4 and 5 that, after filing its NOIC, it had expanded its 

livestock numbers to within the definitional parameters for a medium farm operation, as defined in 6 V.S.A. 

§ 4857(2). We will address those factual allegation at trial when we consider Questions 4 and 5.
Pleasant Valley Farms MFO, No. 26-3-2-18 Vtec (EO on Motion to Dismiss or Clarify) (02-20-2019) Page 4 of 5.

AAFM next challenges Questions 6, 7, 8, and 9 from PVF’s SoQ as improperly asking this 

Court to conduct a review of the appealed determinations, instead of the Court rendering its own 

determinations.2 Since this appeal is taken on a de novo basis (see 6 V.S.A. § 4855), we are tasked 

with conducting our own review of the evidence presented to this Court, and then rendering our 

own determination on the appealed application. In fact, when conducting a de novo review, we 

are directed to act “as though no action whatever has been held prior thereto.” In re Poole, 136 

Vt. 242, 245 (1978); see also Chioffi v. Winooski Zoning Bd., 151 Vt. 9, 11 (1989). Thus, it is beyond 

our jurisdiction in a de novo appeal to conduct an on-the-record review of the appealed-from 

determinations.

Questions 6 and 7 specifically ask whether AAFM “erred in applying § 4851” and whether 

it misinterpreted “the term ‘designed to house’ found in 6 V.S.A § 4851.” PVF SoQ, at 2–3. Given 

that these Questions ask this Court to determine whether AAFM’s review and determination was 

proper, we conclude that Questions 6 and 7 are not appropriate to consider in this de novo

appeal. We therefore GRANT AAFM’s request that they be dismissed.

Questions 8 and 9 also begin with a challenge to whether AAFM “err[ed] in applying 

6 V.S.A. § 4851.” PVF SoQ, at 3. However, if that introductory phrase in each Question is 

removed and the Question’s verbiage is slightly adjusted, each becomes one that is appropriate 

to review in a de novo proceeding. Rather than directing that PVF revise each Question for 

purpose of clarity, as AAFM requests, we direct that PVF accept the following re-wording of its 

Questions:

8. Should the term “designed to house” found in 6 V.S.A § 4851 be interpreted to mean 

the overall size of the structure, irrespective of the intended and actual use or number of 

animals present in the structure?

9. Should the term “designed to house” found in 6 V.S.A § 4851 be interpreted to 

consider the layout, design, intended, and actual use of the structure, and intended and 

actual number of animals housed in the structure, and if the layout, design, intended, and 

actual use of the structure, and intended and actual number of animals housed at the 

Lumbra Farm fall within the Medium Farm definition pursuant to 6 V.S.A § 4857(2), should 

the Lumbra Farm be considered a Medium Farm?

In its pending motion, AAFM does not specifically challenge the remaining Questions in PVF’s 

SoQ: Questions 4, 5, and 10. Those Questions appear to each be phrased in a manner to present 

legal issues that may be presented in a de novo appeal. For example, Question 4 asks whether 

PFV’s expanded animal numbers “satisfied the definition of a Medium Farm pursuant to 6 V.S.A 

§ 4857(2)”; Question 5 asks whether the expanded animal numbers “satisfied the definition of a 

Medium Farm pursuant to Subchapter 1 of the [AAFM] Rules”; and Question 10 asks whether the 

medium farm coverage that was requested in PVF’s NOIC should be approved. 

Appeals from AAFM determinations have a qualifier, however: while the applicable 

statute specifies that appeals from AAFM determinations are de novo, it directs that the appeal 

“shall be limited in scope to whether the medium farm complies with the terms and conditions 

 

2 Because we conclude that Question 6 is beyond the scope of the present appeal, we include this analysis 

in the alternative.
Pleasant Valley Farms MFO, No. 26-3-2-18 Vtec (EO on Motion to Dismiss or Clarify) (02-20-2019) Page 5 of 5.

of the general permit.” 6 V.S.A § 4861. We therefore intend to conduct a de novo trial on the 

remaining Questions with this statutory limitation in mind.

For all these reasons, AAFM’s motion to dismiss or clarify is GRANTED, in part, and 

DENIED, in part. The Questions remaining for our review at trial shall be Questions, 4, 5, 10, and 

Questions 8 and 9, as restated above.

The Court Operations Manager shall set this matter for a pre-trial status conference, so 

that the matter may be set for trial.

So Ordered.

Electronically signed on February 20, 2019, at Newfane, Vermont, pursuant to V.R.E.F. 7(d).

________________________________

Thomas S. Durkin, Superior Judge

Environmental Division

Notifications:

Joan W. D. Donahue (ERN 4857), Attorney for Appellant Pleasant Valley Farms, LLC

Kevin T. Brennan (ERN 4685), Co-counsel for Appellant Pleasant Valley Farms, LLC

Thea J. Schwartz (ERN 3342), Attorney for the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

Melanie Kehne (ERN 2561), Co-counsel for the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

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