NOFA Vermont asks Senate for $500,000 to restore Crop Cash Plus and boost farm viability

NOFA Vermont told the Senate Agriculture Committee on April 4 that it needs $500,000 in base state funding in FY26 to sustain two food-access programs — Crop Cash Plus and FarmShare — that, the organization said, both increase food security and provide reliable revenue for Vermont farmers.

NOFA Vermont representative Joanna Doran told the committee, “Without sufficient funding from the state, Crop Cash Plus does not exist,” and asked senators to support the full $500,000 request in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The request would preserve the long-standing federal Crop Cash program (administered with USDA grant dollars) and a pilot expansion, Crop Cash Plus, which NOFA ran in 2023 with one-time state funds. Under Crop Cash, SNAP (branded in Vermont as 3 Squares Vermont) dollars used at participating farmers markets are matched dollar-for-dollar for fruit and vegetable purchases. Crop Cash Plus added a state-funded extra dollar that could be spent on all SNAP-eligible foods — including meat, dairy, eggs, bread and shelf-stable staples — so a $1 SNAP purchase effectively…