Farm Security Fund

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.

Supported by:

 

Seal of approval from the Vermont Food Security Roadmap

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.

 

Status Update: Summer 2025

S.60, the Farm and Forestry Operations Security Fund, was introduced by Senator Ruth Hardy in the Senate and Representative Mollie Burke in the House. S.60 is working its way through the legislature. During the 2025 legislative session, it passed the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Senate Appropriations Committee, the full Senate, and the House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resilience, and Forestry. It’s now in the House Appropriations Committee.

Alongside our partners, we are building the support that it needs to achieve full passage in 2026, and we're hopeful that you can be a part of this effort to bring it over the finish line!
 

To learn more about the Farm Security Fund, contact Maddie Kempner, NOFA-VT’s Policy & Organizing Director, at [email protected] or 802-419-0072.

Farmer Testimony

We have seen that the federal response and the logistics of disaster relief just don’t make sense for the majority of Vermont’s farms. Vermont farmers are giving, dedicated, and innovative stewards of our working landscape, and need to be valued and protected by practical policies and local solutions.

Hannah Doyle
Farmer at Boneyard Farm in Fletcher, VT
Farmer Testimony

Climate events are momentary disruptors, but with a little help, farmers will survive and even thrive. This proposed bill is a critical step in ensuring that farmers can quickly recover from events and continue stewarding Vermont’s agricultural land.

Becky Maden
Soil health specialist at UVM and farmer at Singer Cedars Farmstead in Orwell, VT
Farmer Testimony

Readily available funds in the event of a climate-related disaster will ensure that our farmers—whose livelihood is on the line with every crazy weather event—can continue to get up every morning and grow our food.

Margaret Loftus
Farmer at Crossmolina Farm in West Corinth, VT
Farmer Testimony

The realities of climate change upon our farming community are long reaching and widely impactful. This fund is critical to our collective well being and would be well positioned to help farmers as they attempt to manage the myriad challenges they face attempting to continue to produce food for our communities.

Abbie Corse
Farmer at Corse Farm Dairy in Whitingham, VT
Farmer Testimony

The creation of the Farm Security Special Fund won’t solve our problems in one go, but it can hopefully help buy farmers some time to heal from and adapt to this new normal. The return on investment for the people of Vermont is clear...we need to acknowledge that the farsighted management of the 1.2M acres of agricultural lands in VT is likely the best investment we can make for our collective future.

Joe Bossen
Farmer at Cloud Water Farm and owner of Vermont Bean Crafters in Warren, VT

Learn More About NOFA-VT's State Policy Priorities and Campaigns

We advocate on behalf of our members to build a food and farming system where farmers can thrive, natural systems are healthy and functioning, and everyone has enough nourishing food to eat. 

State Policy Priorities
Watercolor of Vermont state outline