Legislators question UVM’s commitment to agriculture

Lawmakers are questioning the University of Vermont’s commitment to agriculture now that the school has closed its soil testing lab. The House and Senate Agriculture Committees held a joint hearing on the issue today. They’ve asked the school to document how its support for agriculture has changed over the past 20 years. VPR’s John Dillon reports.

UVM closes ag testing lab

The University of Vermont is closing a laboratory that tested soils and forage crops for Vermont farmers. The school says the lab was losing money, and that the testing can be done by other facilities. But some say the lab closing may raise a larger question about the school’s ties to agriculture.

DNA Backlog

More than 2,500 DNA samples are sitting in Vermont’s Forensics Lab in Waterbury, waiting to be tested. We take a closer look at how two new federal grants could help the state unclog its backlog, and we explore some of the legal issues surrounding DNA.