Farmers, land trusts press legislature to fully fund VHCB at $36.9 million

Al Karnetz, farmland conservation project lead at Vermont Land Trust, told the Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry committee the land trust brings project proposals to the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) and depends on VHCB grant cycles to complete farmland conservation deals.

Becca Canals, owner of The Goat Project in Bennington, described how VHCB-funded programs including the Farm and Forest Viability Program and Intervale Center technical assistance helped her convert hand-milking to machine milking, qualify for a Vermont Community Loan Fund line of credit, and conserve her farmland with Vermont Land Trust. “VHCB has been my lifeline in building my dream as a farmer and providing food for my community,” Canals said.

An owner who identified herself as the owner of Headover Fields in Charlotte said she and her husband purchased a conserved 76-acre farm in March 2021 in large part because of VHCB funding and other conservation partners. She said the conservation prevented an 8–10 lot clustered housing plan that would likely have used prime agricultural soil and made the land unaffordable for farming.

Witnesses asked the committee to support the governor’s fiscal year 2026 budget recommendation to fund VHCB at $36,900,000. Karnetz said VHCB is “the primary funder” for farmland conservation projects and that projects often take two to three years to reach grant submission and completion.

Committee members asked about how projects are funded when VHCB resources are uncertain. Witnesses and staff described a funding mix that commonly includes VHCB grants plus leverage from other sources when available, and noted that some federal programs and the federal farm bill have historically matched VHCB resources. Witnesses said recent governor and administration budget materials indicate the governor’s budget for the upcoming year includes the full statutory share of the property transfer tax for VHCB; witnesses urged the committee to sustain that level of funding.

Speakers also described how conservation easements treat farm labor housing. Katie Rose, owner of Headover Fields, said she and the seller negotiated to keep 5 acres unconserved to allow a house to be built. Al Karnetz and other land trust staff described that VHCB- and land-trust-held easements increasingly include a “sole discretion” clause allowing the land trust to approve farm labor housing when essential to operate the farm, but that approvals require a showing of business necessity and can be a high bar.

Witnesses emphasized local benefits beyond production: conservation enables public viewsheds, protects historic and archaeological resources, and supports farm businesses and workers. Several speakers thanked the committee for past support and asked for continued funding.

There were no committee votes reported at this hearing; testimony and questions will be considered as the committee reviews the budget request.