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Center for Agricultural Economy seeks state backing for food-hub expansion, Farm Security fund and working-lands support
Summary
The Center for Agricultural Economy described a $4 million investment in new cold and distribution infrastructure, advocated for a Farm Security special fund (S.60) for flood recovery, and sought continued support for technical assistance to help farm transitions and processing capacity in the Northeast Kingdom.
John Ramsey, executive director of the Center for Agricultural Economy in Hardwick, told the Commerce committee that the center is investing $4 million of its own funds to bring online new cold, frozen and root-crop storage and distribution space to support local food businesses.
Ramsey said the organization's annual operating budget is about $4.4 million and that roughly 10 percent of that budget is federal funding; he asked the committee to highlight how state investments leverage federal and philanthropic funds. He said the center's work currently facilitates roughly $20 million a year in local food-system economic activity and that continued state backing for aggregation, processing and distribution infrastructure is crucial to sustain that activity.
Ramsey endorsed S.60, described as a Farm Security special fund circulating in the legislature, to provide financial assistance to farms affected by recent flooding. He also urged continued support for the Working Lands program and for technical assistance through VHCB and regional partners to help farms transition enterprises and to update aging infrastructure.
Why it matters: Expanded food-hub capacity and dedicated recovery funding would help farms and food businesses recover from climate-related floods and create the storage and distribution capacity needed to grow local markets across Vermont.
