Senate committee hears S.60 to create Farm Security Fund for weather-related losses

A Senate committee heard more than two hours of testimony Feb. 21 on S.60, a bill to create a Farm Security special fund to provide grants to Vermont farms that suffer qualifying losses from extreme weather.

Committee counsel Michael O'Grady described the bill’s purpose and structure, saying it would “create a … Agency of Agriculture to administer specific special funds, to provide financial assistance to farms that experience certain qualifying losses due to weather conditions.” The draft sets eligibility, creates a review board, and authorizes grants that would reimburse up to 50% of uninsured losses to a maximum of $150,000 per year per qualified applicant.

Supporters and agency officials said the program aims to reach small and medium diversified farms that federal crop insurance and other relief do not reliably serve, and to speed payments after disasters. "The payment should be turned around within 2 weeks for an approved application. And that 2 week period is really essential," said Maddie Kepner of NOFA-Vermont, citing growers’ need for immediate funds to cover payroll and recovery costs.

But state staff and recovery officials emphasized unanswered operational and funding questions. Nicole Dubuque, chief operating officer for the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, said the agency is “in full agreement” with the concept but warned that administering the program — staffing a review board, meeting tight timelines and complying with state grant rules — would require new capacity or dedicated resources. Chief recovery officer Doug Farnham said the state must balance assistance for agriculture with sustainable approaches for the wider business community and suggested a governor’s disaster declaration would be an appropriate trigger for the fund.

What the bill would do

Under S.60 as presented, the bill: - Defines eligible weather conditions to include high winds, moisture/flooding, precipitation, heat, freezing, fire, hail and drought, and allows the review…