Vermont agriculture agency warns federal cuts would hit local food programs, produce safety and staff

Anson Tebets, secretary of the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, told the House Appropriations Committee on April 17 that federal funding accounts for roughly 40% of the agency’s proposed $60 million budget and that recent federal decisions are creating “a bit of a holding pattern” for several state programs.

“We were anticipating continued support through ’25 with about 1,700,000.0 in additional funding,” Tebets said of the federal Local Food Purchase Assistance program, but he added that “USDA terminated our cooperative agreement for those funds on March 7.”

Tebets said federal support also funds cooperative programs such as the state’s meat inspection agreement with the federal government, which “has not seen any disruptions as of today.” He added, however, that the Food and Drug Administration has informed Vermont the produce safety program faces “significant cuts, potentially as much as 40%.”

Amy Mercer, the agency’s financial…