Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Bipoc Farmer Incubator topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
SUSU Community Farm asks committee for state funding for BIPOC incubator and free CSA
Summary
SUSU Community Farm of Newfane told the Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry Committee it seeks a multi‑year state appropriation to fund an immersive incubator for BIPOC and disadvantaged farmers and to sustain a free CSA program that has served about 60 households.
SUSU Community Farm presenters asked the Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry Committee to create a state budget line item to support an immersive incubator program for BIPOC and disadvantaged farmers and to sustain a free CSA program that supplies fresh food to households in Windham County.
Amber Arnold, co‑founder and co‑director of SUSU Community Farm, opened the presentation by quoting civil‑rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer: "Nobody is free until everybody is free," and framed the farm’s request as a call to resource BIPOC farmers, preserve traditional ecological knowledge, and build localized, resilient food systems.
Krista McClure, SUSU collaborative director, described the organization’s work on a 37‑acre farm in Newfane, where SUSU runs a free BIPOC CSA and partners with other local farms to include meat, dairy, eggs and bread in the boxes. McClure said the program has engaged about 60 member households (roughly 250 people) over the past three years and delivered about 16,000 pounds of fresh produce and other locally sourced foods.
SUSU representatives said the farm received previous federal grants, including the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) award and Vermonters Feeding Vermonters support; they said LFPA grants in recent years were essential to operating the free CSA and that one LFPA award to SUSU was about $50,000. They asked the committee to consider a four‑year state appropriation for an immersive incubator fund to provide sustained, flexible support for disadvantaged farmers and for programming that builds connections among local growers.
The presenters emphasized networks and resource‑sharing: SUSU said it buys produce and value‑added goods from nearby farms (named partners included Circle Mountain Farm and Wingate Farm) and aims to build a hub that routes resources to local growers rather than funneling large sums to distant institutions. Krista McClure described SUSU’s model as both direct food distribution and a “field of love” for cultural reclamation, training and climate‑resilient farming practices.
Committee members asked about past grant amounts and program structure. SUSU said LFPA funding and Vermonters Feeding Vermonters were used to purchase and grow food for CSA boxes and to pay partner farms for meat, dairy and bread. When asked about CSA pricing, SUSU said the current boxes are entirely grant‑funded but that the organization has considered mixes of paid and subsidized shares to stretch limited funding.
Ending: SUSU requested a dedicated state budget line to pilot and sustain an immersive incubator for BIPOC and disadvantaged farmers, and organizers said they would provide further documentation and budget details to the committee as it considers potential appropriations.
