Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Food Security Local Procurement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House advances permanent Vermonters Feeding Vermonters grant to support local farm purchases for food banks
Summary
H.167 would establish the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters grant program at the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets to continue purchases of Vermont‑grown produce, protein and dairy for food shelves, with appropriations handled in the FY26 budget. Committee votes were unanimous in committee; House amended and ordered third reading.
The Vermont House on March 26 advanced H.167, a bill to establish a permanent Vermonters Feeding Vermonters grant within the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets to support purchases of Vermont farm products for distribution by the Vermont Food Bank and local food partners.
Sponsors described the program as a response to requests from food distribution partners for more produce, protein and culturally preferred foods; it was created by the Vermont Food Bank in 2018 and expanded during the pandemic. Committee testimony and the bill text cited prior years’ purchases—$2.4 million in 2023 and $2.38 million in 2024—and said the program supported nearly 299 participating Vermont farms in its recent iteration.
Under the bill, the Agency of Agriculture would contract with Vermont farm producers through the Vermont Food Bank’s distribution channels and offer subgrants to food hubs, distribution centers and some community supported agriculture (CSA) shares. The program as printed prioritizes local farm purchases as defined in Vermont statute (within state boundaries). The bill requires the Vermont Food Bank, in consultation with the secretary of agriculture, to report annually by March 1 to the House Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry on program outcomes.
Appropriations for the program were removed from the committee report and made contingent upon an FY2026 appropriation; Appropriations Committee members described the funding as something to be addressed in the budget process, with an expected presentation the following day. The committee on Appropriations’ floor report noted its amendment makes implementation contingent upon an appropriation from the General Fund for FY2026. The bill’s sponsor told the House the program injected $9.5 million into the Vermont agricultural economy and purchased $5.7 million in local food since 2018; the program’s advocates said continuing funding would support both food security and farm viability.
Committee witnesses included the CEO of the Vermont Food Bank, Agency of Agriculture officials, and legislative counsel; the agriculture committee reported the bill out unanimously. On the floor the House adopted the Appropriations Committee’s amendment and ordered third reading.
The bill’s fiscal specifics—final FY26 appropriation size and budget placement—were to be determined in the FY26 budget process; the committee noted the Appropriations Committee would address funding in its presentation.
