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NOFA, farmers urge $20 million Farm Security Fund to deliver rapid disaster relief
Summary
NOFA Vermont and a group of farmers urged the House Agriculture Committee to pass a new Farm Security Fund — a proposed onetime $20 million appropriation to provide quick grants to farms hit by extreme weather — and outlined how a nimble state mechanism could fill gaps left by federal programs.
Maddie Kempner, speaking for NOFA Vermont, told the House Agriculture Committee the organization will ask the legislature to create a Farm Security Fund and seek a one‑time $20 million appropriation for fiscal year 2026 to provide rapid relief to farms affected by climate disasters.
"Yes. We are seeking a $20,000,000 onetime appropriation for f y 26," Kempner said. She said the bill would set a formula for future base appropriations and create a review board to help administer the fund in partnership with the Agency of Agriculture.
Kempner and other witnesses told the panel that federal disaster programs can be slow and poorly matched to diversified, small‑scale Vermont farms. The Agency of Agriculture's 2023 survey, cited by NOFA,…
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