Vermont Food Bank asks legislature for $2 million to expand 'Vermonters Feeding Vermonters' purchases from local farms
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Summary
Vermont Food Bank told an Agriculture committee it seeks $2 million for the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters program (part of a $5 million request) to buy local food for distribution, plus one-time network support and $1 million for disaster-ready response capacity.
The Vermont Food Bank on Thursday asked the legislature to include $2,000,000 in the state budget to expand the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters program and to back a broader $5,000,000 request for statewide food-security work.
At a presentation to the Agriculture, Food Resiliency, & Forestry committee, Carrie Staylor, government and public affairs staff at the Vermont Food Bank, outlined the $5,000,000 package and said $2,000,000 of that is the line item the committee can act on for Vermonters Feeding Vermonters. "$5,000,000 in fiscal year 27," she told the committee, describing the total package and the program breakdown.
The request would fund two principal tracks. One track purchases food at scale from larger Vermont farms and wholesalers that can deliver by pallet load; the other provides grants to local partner organizations so they can buy smaller quantities directly from small farms and producers for distribution at food shelves, school pantries and mobile programs. Staylor described the approach as a "win-win" that both stocks community food shelves and moves income to local farms.
John Sales, chief executive officer of the Vermont Food Bank, described the organization's statewide reach: the Food Bank distributes roughly 14,500,000 pounds of food annually, operates three distribution centers (Burlington, Rutland and Brattleboro) and partners with more than 300 food shelves, meal sites, schools and other organizations. "We are the only statewide food bank in Vermont serving about 300 plus partners," Sales said, noting the Food Bank serves roughly 70,000 people a month in aggregate across its partners.
Staylor said the overall $5,000,000 request would include $2,000,000 for partner purchases (one-time funding to allow food shelves and meal sites to access more free food) and $1,000,000 for a "ready response" disaster fund to improve the state's ability to meet immediate food needs after floods or other disasters in coordination with Vermont Emergency Management (VEM). She explained that Feeding America can deliver disaster boxes in about three to four days but quantities are limited, so local staging and surge capacity are needed for the first 72 hours of an event.
The presenters reviewed recent state funding that previously supported local purchases: their materials indicated roughly $3,000,000 in earlier state support and about $1,500,000 in another year; Staylor said the legislature allocated $1,000,000 for Vermonters Feeding Vermonters for FY26 and that additional adjustment money of about $400,000 remained in the budget adjustment. She told the committee the appropriation was then in the Senate and that conference committee work was approaching.
Committee members asked technical questions about procurement and distribution. Sales said much of the Food Bank's purchased produce comes from a large regional distributor/grower (identified in the presentation materials as Western Harvest) and that purchased product is typically procured by the truckload from wholesalers. He noted that donated foods still represent a substantial share (about 60%) of distributed product but that purchased food has become a larger and growing share of overall distribution.
Staging stock for disasters is constrained by shelf life and turnover: Sales told the committee distribution centers turn over inventory frequently and the Food Bank typically keeps only a small number of pallets staged locally for immediate needs, replenishing those through existing channels so routine service is not disrupted.
The Food Bank urged the committee to include the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters $2,000,000 ask in its budget letter. Committee members said they would circulate last year's budget request language as a template and try to reach agreement before crossover deadlines. No formal vote was taken at the presentation.
What happens next: the committee said it will consider language for its budget letter and may schedule additional testimony; the presenters said they and partner organizations will testify during appropriation hearings and remain available for follow-up questions.
