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Delegation staff warn delayed USDA disbursements are squeezing Vermont farmers
Summary
Staff for U.S. senators told the Agriculture, Food Resiliency & Forestry committee that USDA has not yet distributed 2025 organic cost‑share reimbursements and that $220 million in small‑state flood‑recovery block grants from the 2024 appropriations remain unreleased to states, prompting ongoing congressional and state follow‑up.
Katie Van Heist, state director for Sen. Bernie Sanders, told the committee that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had not yet released two federal aid streams critical to Vermont producers: the 2025 organic cost‑share reimbursements and a $220,000,000 small‑state block grant for flood recovery. "USDA has still failed to send out the 2025 cost share reimbursement for organic farmers in Vermont," Van Heist said, stressing the timing matters as producers plan spring planting.
The nut of the problem, Van Heist said, is agency execution rather than missing congressional language. She told the committee the 2024 appropriations…
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