Farmer Emergency Fund

Grant & Application Details

The NOFA-VT Farmer Emergency Fund is available to assist farmers who are in financial need after having been adversely affected by natural and unnatural disasters. 

• $2,500 grants are available for commercial farmers who are NOFA-VT members (join membership here). Applying farmers will need to be NOFA-VT members in good standing for at least one year before being eligible to apply for funds.
• $5,000 grants are available to any farm that is VOF certified organic. Because we want to incentivize organic certification, and because of the commitment involved in getting certified, we will waive the one-year waiting period for certified organic farms.

Successful applicants will be notified as soon as possible. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and reviewed by a loan review committee with representatives from the NOFA-VT staff and the NOFA-VT Board of Directors. Once the application is received, you should receive notification of the committee’s decision within two weeks.

Please note:

• The fund is available to certified Vermont Organic Farmers (VOF) or NOFA-VT members in good standing for at least one year.
• Funds are distributed as grants that do not need to be repaid. 
• The fund may be used to help replace infrastructure (for example greenhouse, barn, fencing), seed, feed, livestock, equipment and other losses caused by the disaster.
• The fund may be used to help pay outstanding farm-related bills and immediate needs (loan and mortgage repayments, etc).
• The fund is not an alternative to insurance and does not cover losses that are covered by a successful insurance claim or losses covered by other sources.
• The fund may not be used to cover projected income from crops lost from the disaster.