Senate Agriculture Committee advances S.60 to create Farm Security Special Fund, seeks $7.5 million transfer

The Senate Committee on Agriculture voted to pass S.60, a bill that would create a Farm Security Special Fund at the Agency of Agriculture to provide financial relief to Vermont farmers for uninsured losses from extreme weather, and approved removing an appropriation in favor of a transfer and cutting the bill's appropriation section. The committee recorded yea votes from Senators Norris, Watson, Bruce, Lyons, Westman, Brennan and Perchley.

The bill would authorize grants of up to 50% of uninsured losses for eligible weather events — including high winds, extreme heat, flooding, abnormal freezing, widespread fire, drought or other severe conditions as determined by a board established by the Agency of Agriculture — with a maximum of $150,000 per farm per year. "S.60 creates [a] farm security special fund at the Agency of Agriculture to provide financial relief for those Vermont farmers that experience extreme weather events," Senator Joe Major said during the committee hearing.

The committee chair said the panel modeled the program on the state—s previous BGAP…