Anson Tebbetts, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, told a legislative hearing that the federal farm bill has been extended through October 2026 and that the agency is negotiating a regional disaster-relief block grant to help producers recover from losses in calendar years 2023 and 2024.

Nicole Dubuque, the agency’s operations director, said Vermont was tentatively awarded $31,700,000 from a $220,000,000 regional allotment and that the funds would focus on infrastructure and market losses once the grant is executed and a work plan is approved by USDA. ‘‘We have been tentatively awarded $31,700,000 that we are currently negotiating with USDA to put into a grant,’’ Dubuque said. She added that specific eligibility rules, documentation requirements and maximum awards still need USDA approval.

The agency also described separate federal options for crop losses. Dubuque said the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency, is the program producers use for direct crop-loss claims, while the block grant is intended primarily for infrastructure and market-loss categories.

State data and farm testimony illustrated the scale of the problem. Abby Wheeler, the agency’s drought-survey lead, said the department’s AG Drought Impact 2025 survey (launched Oct. 17 and open through Dec. 15) had recorded 163 responses as of the hearing, representing more than 65,000 acres and reporting about $13,000,000 in self-reported losses to date. ‘‘Fifty-six respondents reported hauling water at some point this season,’’ Wheeler said, and many described drilling wells, early hay feeding and reduced yields.

Farmers and Farm Bureau representatives described immediate financial strains. Mary White, president of the Vermont Farm Bureau, said federal shutdowns delayed processing of some noninsured crop disaster (NAP) claims and left producers without timely access to FSA services during critical harvest and recovery periods. Individual farmers told the committee they had to buy emergency hay, drill new wells (well-drilling costs the Farm Bureau estimated at $15,000–$30,000), or move animals between properties to cope.

The hearing also flagged a separate state-level request. NOFA and others asked legislators to continue advocating for S60, the Farm Security Fund language that the committee previously passed out of committee, and to consider adding a state appropriation to support on-the-ground recovery. Agency members and Farm Bureau witnesses recommended state and federal coordination as details are finalized.

What’s next: agency staff said they will continue weekly negotiations with USDA, aim to finalize a work plan, and prepare an administrative structure for distributing the grant funds once the agreement is executed. The drought survey remains open through Dec. 15, and the agency expects to issue a fuller report after it closes.

Ending: Committee members thanked agency staff for the rapid outreach and said they would follow up on appropriations and program details in January, while the panel broke for lunch and resumed follow-up work on the block grant and S60 later in the session.