FLOOD SUPPORT FOR FARMS
On the evening of July 10, 2024 and into the following morning, July 11th, parts of Central and Northeastern Vermont, in particular, experienced catastrophic flooding - devastating farms, businesses, homes, roads, and towns. This flooding event occurred precisely one year and one day from Vermont’s 2023 historic, widespread catastrophic flood.
We’ve created this page on the Rural Vermont website to centralize direct aid efforts for producers affected by the July 2024 floods (crowdfunding, mutual aid, volunteer opportunities, and more). This list is a living document and is evolving. We recognize we are one of many organizations hosting and developing resources, and hope this is both a helpful contribution offering some redundancy as well as some tools complementing what has already been developed and shared which we have not currently seen available.
In particular, we have compiled a list of producer crowdfunding efforts and designed a form you can fill out to submit a farm or community’s aid or crowdfunding effort to the list. We have also compiled a list of volunteer opportunities broken out by town / region, and we’ve developed a form to submit volunteer opportunities to this list as well. (Links to forms are just below, and resource lists follow.) We hope that this supports more visibility and funding for everyone affected by the flood and for efforts offering relief, and encourage folks to share and contribute to these resources and funding campaigns as you are able.
Please take a look at Rural Vermont’s Flood Resource Page for a wide range of other resources and helpful information related to the July 2024 floods.
Thank you and take good care.
Crowdfunding Sites for Farms Affected
Please consider giving directly to these aid campaigns!
Joe’s Brook Farm, St. Johnsbury
Funds Directly Supporting Farmers on the Ground
NOFA-VT Farmer Emergency Fund: please fill out the donate form and choose the “Farmer Emergency Fund” from the campaign drop-down
UVM Foundation Donation: choose the “Vegetable & Berry Gift Fund” from the list of funds to support the free soil testing and cover crop seed donations referred to below
Vermont Community Foundation VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund
Vermont Growers Association (VGA) Vermont Cannabis Industry Emergency Fund
How do I set up a crowdfunding site for my or someone else's farm?
Below is a link to the GoFundme platform, and there are others like this available to use, if you would like to set one up for your farm and or an affected farm you care about!
GoFundMe: or similar crowdfunding platforms can help affected farms get rapid financial assistance, and they allow people to support your farm in a time of need!
Volunteer, Work Aid, & Other Opportunities for
Flooded Farms
Bone Mountain Farm Work Day Saturday, 7/20 - information here.
Plainfield Flood Response (as of 7/18/24): There is still a great need for volunteers in Plainfield! 90% or more of this work is mucking, dirt moving, and then once mucked enough it's cleaning, squeegeeing. It's dirty work but our neighbors really need it. If you have any time, please come down to the Opera House starting at 10am every day. If you have a group who wants to volunteer with 10 or more volunteers at once please email: plainfieldfloodresponse@gmail.com to coordinate.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds: 20% off seed for flooded farms. Contact Emma Golonka: egolonka@johnnyseeds.com
Vermont Vegetable & Berry Growers Association (VVBGA): Flooded farms can use the VVBGA’s listserve (VTVEGANDBERRY@list.uvm.edu) to request donations of fresh produce, seeds, seedlings, etc. Farm requests should be as specific as possible about varieties, volume and timing. Give your town location and radius if you can pick up, or if you need items delivered. Farms that can provide donations: be sure to reply only to the seeking farm, not to the entire list! Provide specifics of what you can offer, when, and if you can deliver.
Free Soil Testing for Flooded Commercial Vegetable and Berry Farms Only: Download and complete the submission form and mark it as Flooded Field so you won't be billed. Request the regular soil test for pH and nutrients and/or the heavy metals screen. More information on testing soils after flooding is posted here.
Free Cover Crop Seed for Flooded Commercial Vegetable and Berry Farms: In an effort to support soil health recovery, UVM Extension will make bulk order(s) of free cover crop seed for flooded commercial vegetable and berry farms. Please email your requests to Rebecca.Maden@uvm.edu, with as much detail as possible about acreage, cover crop species preferred, likely planting date(s), and whether organic seed is required. Becky will do her best to meet people's needs, but this will depend on seed availability and how much funding there is available.
Free Business Planning Advice for Flooded Farms:
Intervale Center Farm Business Services team. Complete the online enrollment questionnaire or contact Sam Smith at sam@intervale.org or 802-985-8018.
NOFA-VT Farmer Services. Here's their online intake Form or email Jen Miller at jen@nofavt.org.
UVM Extension Ag Business Team. Here's their online intake form or call the Berlin UVM Extension office at 802-476-2003.
Funds & Financials Assistance for Farmers
Vermont Farm Fund Emergency Loans
Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program (BEGAP): Awards help applicants recoup a portion of their total net uncovered damages.
VGA Vermont Cannabis Industry Emergency Fund: A permanent relief fund for Vermont-licensed cannabis farms and businesses impacted by natural and unnatural disasters.