Campaign aims to aid Vermont farms still reeling from 2023 flood damage

Sydney P. Hakes, Burlington Free Press
·2 min read

A grassroots coalition focused on raising funds to support local Vermont agriculture has begun distributing money to farms in need, many of which were impacted by the 2023 storms. Dig Deep Vermont was founded by a team of sponsors and local leaders, recognizing that without help, the farms may not be able to resume operations.

Many of the farms are ones affected by the July 2023 flooding. The high levels of rain catastrophized many local, family-operated farms, impacting their 2024 growing season. More than 350 family farms were affected by the storms, suffering an estimated $45 million in total losses.

Vermont's capital city, Montpelier, was flooded after torrential rains caused the Winooski River to overflow its banks on July 11, 2023.
Vermont's capital city, Montpelier, was flooded after torrential rains caused the Winooski River to overflow its banks on July 11, 2023.

Digging Deep

Dig Deep Vermont is predominately run by volunteers and is headed by community leaders and co-chairs Molly Mahar, president of Ski Vermont and the Vermont Ski Areas Association, and Joe Bergeron, president of the Association of Vermont Credit Unions.

The organization's website has a long list of financial supporters, including the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, Vermont Farm Bureau, Vermont Association of Broadcasters, Hannaford Supermarkets, Farrell Distributing and more. They also find support from the government and donations.

The fundraiser is organized by county so that neighbors can help neighbors, while also offering a general state fund that will supplement county campaigns. Funds raised will be distributed directly to the family farms that have been impacted by the flooding and extreme weather.

Dig Deep Vermont states that if you choose to donate to a specific county, those funds are provided to family farmers working in that county only. If you donate to the general state fund, the Vermont Farm Bureau and the Agency for Agriculture, Food and Markets determines the best use of the funds for Vermont Family Farms, based on the highest priority needs throughout the state.

There is an option to donate on the website, with information on what exactly donations will go to, including what can be covered with what level of donation. For example, $5 can cover 500 cover crop seeds, $10 can help feed farm animals for a day, $25 can replace 20 feet of fence, $50 can buy a round bale of hay and $250 can fuel a tractor for a day.

Farmers seeking assistance can submit a form on the website and a representative from Vermont Farm Bureau will follow up with the request. The website states that to qualify, "applicants must be Vermont farmers or food producers who have suffered a devastating loss due to an unexpected natural disaster or extreme weather event in 2023 that puts their farm or farming career in danger."

Sydney P. Hakes is the Burlington city reporter. Contact her at SHakes@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Helping Vermont farms affected by 2023 flooding, extreme weather