Join us as we advocate for meaningful, strategic support for farms facing extreme weather events.
Farmer organizations representing all types and scales of farms across the state have come together to ask the legislature to establish a Farm Security Fund to ensure farmers have financial assistance they need to recover from the impacts of extreme weather. Grants from the fund will reimburse a farm for up to 50% of uninsured or otherwise uncovered losses. We're asking the legislature to pass the Farm Security Fund and appropriate $20 million for farm emergency relief in FY26. Future appropriations to the fund will be based on the average losses from eligible weather conditions over the past three years. The fund would be administered by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets in collaboration with a review board.
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Why This, Why Now
A storm, frost, or drought at the wrong time can devastate a farm. We all rely on farms, and we are all responsible for supporting farmers as they face increased climate instability, particularly as Vermont’s small, diversified farms are left out of federal programs designed to stabilize agriculture in times of crisis.
It’s time to start adapting to the climate crisis and ensuring our farms can continue producing the food we need. Supporting Vermont’s farms means boosting rural economies, protecting the health of our land, preserving the heart of our communities, and ensuring a strong local food supply—critical as agriculture faces the same extreme weather challenges around the globe.
To learn more about the Farm Security Fund, contact Maddie Kempner, NOFA-VT’s Policy & Organizing Director, at [email protected] or 802-419-0072.
