By Scott Waterman, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets is comprised of more than 120 full-time employees, working on varying aspects of agriculture regulatory programs and support for our farms and farmers. The Agency would like to introduce you to some new faces that will be working for you in some of these roles.
Selina Rooney - Selina Rooney will be working as a part of the Agriculture Development Marketing Team on the Big E, agritourism, trade show and export support, and other efforts to cultivate and promote the Vermont brand. Selina has been working on her family’s organic dairy farm in Morristown since her graduation from UVM with a BS in Dietetics in 1993. She also worked per diem as a registered dietitian at Copley Hospital during that time. She produces maple syrup on their 1500 tap sugarbush and has run the CSA on the farm. Her favorite activities are skiing, reading, paddling, and running. Her two grown children moved back to the farm after college and are active in the agritourism side of the business. She is very excited to be on the team promoting Vermont agriculture.
Dr. Emily Buskey - Dr. Emily Buskey is the new Vermont State Veterinarian in the Animal Health Section and the Food Safety and Consumer Protection Division. Dr. Buskey grew up in Vermont on a small farm, raising a variety of livestock and poultry. After studying music in college, she co-owned and operated a grass-based registered Jersey dairy and 1200-tap maple sugaring operation for several years, milking about 55 cows and eventually transitioning successfully to seasonal dairying. She also spent time teaching therapeutic horseback riding and working as a DHIA dairy records technician.
After leaving dairying, she returned to school at UVM and then graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine in 2009 with a focus on food animal (livestock) medicine. Dr. Buskey practiced small animal medicine in the Adirondacks and north central Vermont, especially enjoying surgery and emergency work, before finding her calling as a public health veterinarian with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service in 2016. She has also worked with USDA-APHIS Northern Border Ports, inspecting livestock being imported from Canada.
Dr. Buskey spends her free time outdoors whenever possible, fixing fences and battling invasive plant species around the homestead, and hiking or snowshoeing with her dog. She is an avid vegetable gardener and recently started experimenting with basic cheesemaking.
Earl Fechter - Earl is joining the Agency as the new Compliance Policy & Enforcement Manager. Earl is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University, the University at Buffalo School of Law, and the University of Miami School of Law where he obtained an advanced law degree. In his position at the Agency, Earl brings professional experience as a civil litigator, trial attorney, State and Federal Prosecutor, and has substantial supervisory experience. He formerly supervised a team of felony division prosecutors in Florida and later supervised the State of Vermont’s Department of Human Resources Investigations Unit. As well, Earl is an experienced investigator in rooting out the facts in high volume and high stakes matters. Earl has worked for many years in the public sector. He lives with his family in Montpelier, where he grew up. He is excited to be joining the Agency and to work on behalf of Vermonters.
Josh Knight - Josh will be working with the Agriculture Development Division Marketing Team’s price discovery and reporting programs for farmers markets, beef, organic dairy, and (soon) maple syrup. He will also provide support to the division for enhancing our quantitative storytelling and impact reporting.
Originally from Florida by way of Kentucky, Josh worked for the Cooperative Extension Service in Kentucky for nearly 10 years after picking up a bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Kentucky in 2013. In the years before, during, and after his undergraduate coursework, Josh worked the long summers on diversified farms growing a variety of specialty crops and raising beef cattle, broilers, and pigs in Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Japan, and Kentucky. Prior to his agricultural career, Josh worked in the Information Technology sector of central Florida for six years, acquiring skills in web development, graphic design, and communication technologies. While working in Extension, Josh completed a master’s degree in Plant and Soil Science and a graduate certificate in Digital Mapping.