Vermont advocates ask legislature to restore Crop Cash Plus, opt into SNAP restaurant-meals program and boost emergency food funding

Members of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont and allied food-access groups told the Senate Agriculture Committee on Feb. 6 that restoring and expanding SNAP-related incentives and disaster food funding would support low-income Vermonters while putting dollars into local farms.

Joanna Doran, local food access director with NOFA Vermont, said the coalition came for “3 Squares Vermont Awareness Day” to outline funding requests. “We are here today with our partners and neighbors for 3 Squares Vermont Awareness Day to ask for your support on several requests that together will move us closer to a food secure Vermont and also ensures that farmers thrive,” Doran said.

The core requests presented to the committee were: $500,000 in base funding to sustain Crop Cash Plus and FarmShare (NOFA Vermont programs that increase SNAP purchasing power at farmers markets and subsidize CSA shares); legislation and startup funding to opt the state into the federal SNAP restaurant-meals program (a $75,000 startup appropriation and $100,000 for a Department of Children and Families staff position to run the program); $5 million in base and one-time funding for the Vermont Food Bank for disaster purchasing and distribution; and $2 million in base funding for home-delivered meals for older adults, augmenting existing state support.

Why it matters: SNAP (the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known in Vermont as 3 Squares Vermont) is the state’s principal anti-hunger program. Presenters said SNAP dollars circulate locally — NOFA estimated roughly $13 million a month — and that adding incentives and program options would increase farmers’ sales while improving food access.

John Sales, chief executive officer of the Vermont Food Bank, told the committee the restaurant-meals option would not create new SNAP benefits but would allow certain SNAP recipients — for example, people who are unhoused or people over 60 — to use benefits for prepared meals at approved vendors. “My understanding of the restaurant meals program simply is it does not...it's not additional benefits,” Sales said. He added that the program could help people without kitchens buy prepared foods and would require both vendor approval and administrative capacity at DCF.

Speakers from farms and market organizations described direct impacts when Crop Cash Plus was available. Haley Williams, local food coordinator at the Center for an Agricultural Economy, said the program’s 2023 expansion allowed EBT holders to use incentives on a wider range of foods (meat, dairy, bread and other items beyond produce) and that Hardwick Farmers Market saw higher sales when local incentives were funded. Farmer Stoney Thompson said that in 2024 Crop Cash accounted for nearly 10% of his gross income and that on some market days it represented almost 25% of sales.

Participant testimony included Crystal Shannon Aloisi, a SNAP and Crop Cash participant, who said Crop Cash “affords me a way to participate in my community” and allows her to buy the fresh, medically appropriate food she needs.

On budget context, presenters noted that NOFA received $300,000 in one-time funding last session and is now seeking $500,000 in base funding. Sales told the committee he did not see the coalition’s full package reflected in the governor’s recommended budget and that several items would require added base appropriations to be sustainable rather than one-time allocations.

Committee members asked operational questions: how SNAP benefits are delivered (loaded on EBT cards), how markets and hubs reach SNAP participants (partner networks, mailings from DCF, and outreach by food banks and local nonprofits), and how transportation can limit market access in rural areas. Presenters pointed to existing collaboration in Vermont — a statewide 3 Squares working group that includes state staff, advocates and vendors — as a strength for implementing changes and coordinating disaster response.

The presenters repeatedly framed the funding requests as investments in both food security and farm viability: incentives increase market traffic and income for small producers while lowering out-of-pocket costs for households that rely on SNAP.

What’s next: No formal votes occurred at the hearing. Committee members indicated they will review written testimony and budget proposals; presenters asked the Legislature to consider making the requested items base funding so programs do not lapse when one-time dollars are exhausted.