We Need ALL Farms to Survive & Thrive
This week the legislature began to look at draft legislation to implement Governor Scott’s proposed $400M Restart Vermont Economic Recovery Package. This proposal includes $40M for direct payments to dairy farms and $10M for direct payments to dairy processors to be administered by the VT Agency of Agriculture. There are no funds allocated specifically for non-dairy farms and food producers - they are expected to compete with all other small businesses and non-profit organizations for various loans and grants to be administered by the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. (ACCD). Rural Vermont strongly believes the survival of ALL Vermont farms is critical to creating food security and food sovereignty for all Vermonters as well as preserving our agricultural heritage of working lands for future resilience.
Rural Vermont’s Policy Team has also been following efforts by the Senate Agriculture Committee to develop a bill that would provide substantive economic support to all Vermont farms as they struggle with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their draft bill includes specific assistance to dairy farms as well as assistance to non-dairy farms. It also includes some support for migrant workers on dairy farms who have been excluded from all federal pandemic assistance. We are hopeful the Senate Ag Committee members will work to have their ideas incorporated into the Administration’s proposed Economic Recovery Package.
The Committee has also been discussing how they might leverage the large amount of money Vermont is receiving through the Federal CARES Act ($1.25 Billion) to help make Vermont’s agricultural economy more stable and resilient for the future. It has been painfully clear that the economic impact of COVID-19 has greatly increased the number of Vermonters struggling with hunger and a lack of food security. Vermont’s diversified farms are stepping up and contributing to that security.
At the same time, all farms are also struggling to adapt to the loss of their usual markets (restaurants, schools, institutions) and make critical changes in their operations to protect themselves, their families, employees, and customers. Although some diversified farms have experienced an increase in demand for their products, as Vermonters seek more reliable and local sources of food, meeting that demand has required long hours, significant investments in technology as well as specialized equipment and supplies and the stress of constantly adjusting to a changing landscape of threat and opportunity.
Rural Vermont is deeply concerned that although there is a substantial amount of money ($50M) in the Governor’s Recovery package earmarked for the severely struggling dairy industry, all other farms and food producers must compete with the entire universe of other small businesses and non-profit organizations in the state - for a proportionally smaller pot of money. This is not fair, and it is not a wise course of action given how much of Vermont’s economy is tied to agriculture. To ask farmers, at their busiest time of year, to become familiar with a state agency that is likely new to them and navigate what appears to be a complex and highly competitive process to access even the loans being proposed is patently inequitable.
The Governor’s proposal is new and complex with very few details available, so far, regarding how all of this money will be distributed. Everyone engaged in the legislative process is challenged to understand the proposal and there is extraordinarily little time left in the current phase of the legislative session to work out myriad details. Rural Vermont has testified (read 5/28 testimony here) on how non-dairy farms can be treated more equitably and will be continuously communicating with all the legislators who will be asked to shape this legislation. To do this we need your help so please read on!
ACTION ALERT: Contact your House and Senate Legislators THIS WEEK and demand fair treatment for Vermont’s non-dairy farms and food producers in the Governor’s $400M Restart Vermont Recovery Funding Package.
TESTIMONIALS NEEDED: Non-Dairy Farmers & Food Producers: We need your stories of how COVID-19 has affected your farm/food business. Contact Caroline if you would be willing to share your story.