Capitol Beat: Survey details flood damage to ag sector

Jun 03, 2023

Earlier this week, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets released interim survey data showing the impact recent weather events have had on the state’s agriculture sector.

According to the results, the state’s farmers, agricultural businesses, and communities sustained millions of dollars in damage and face strong headwinds to recover. The survey will remain open for farmers to submit their information until Aug 28.

With more than 200 responses so far, the total estimated losses exceed $12 million, and impacted more than 18,000 acres. The average percentage annual income lost was estimated to be 30%.

In addition:

— 38% respondents reported loss of crops meant for wholesale or retail markets.

— 35% reported loss of crops meant for animal feed.

— 20% reported damage to soils or land.

— And 7% reported damage to infrastructure or equipment.

— More than 69% of respondents reported they do not carry crop insurance.

Agriculture damage by county so far is reported to be: Washington, $1 million; Rutland, $391,000; Franklin, $289,000; Orleans, $334,025; Lamoille, $1.23 million; Bennington, $2 million; Orange, $442,611; Chittenden, $1.5 million; Essex, $120,000; Caledonia, $972,000; Addison, $2 million; Windsor, $1.1 million; Windham, $667,200.

Because of the seriousness of these disasters, Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts has named a special task force to help farmers recover. The task force will be co-chaired by Roy Beckford of UVM Extension and Nicole Dubuque of VAAFM. The panel will deliver a report to federal and state policymakers in the coming weeks, focusing on short-term and long-term strategies to help Vermont agriculture recover and become more resilient.

VAAFM continues to encourage all farms and agricultural operations that have suffered flood impacts to report those damages and losses to Vermont 211 and their local Farm Service Agency office, preferably both. For information on flood recovery and support, visit agriculture.vermont.gov/flood, email [email protected], or call 802-828-5667.

On Friday, the state Department of Labor released data showing the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for July was 1.8% — a decrease of one-tenth of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate.

The civilian labor force participation rate was 63.9% in July, an increase of one-tenth of one percentage point from the prior month’s revised estimate.

The comparable United States rate in July was 3.5%, a decrease of one-tenth of one percentage point from the revised June estimate. The data for July show the Vermont civilian labor force increased by 728 from the prior month. The number of employed persons increased by 1,157 and the number of unemployed persons decreased by 429.

“As Vermont continues with recovery efforts, the data released today adds some initial perspective to the overall magnitude of the disasters. The monthly numbers show a decrease of 1,700 jobs in July in the Accommodation & Food Services industry. The weekly reports showing unemployment insurance claims level activity also provide a partial picture of the economic disruption with claims levels 50% higher this summer when compared to last summer,” said Commissioner Michael Harrington in a news release.

The Vermont Chamber of Commerce has sent a letter to the state’s congressional delegation with an urgent request for their support to establish a Natural Disaster Paycheck Protection Program.

A Natural Disaster Paycheck Protection Program would provide crucial support to businesses in the wake of climate-induced disasters, a news release about the letter states.

“With the frequency of climate disasters expected to increase, this initiative reflects the urgent need to protect our communities’ economic well-being and safeguard the livelihoods of countless hardworking Vermonters,” stated Megan Sullivan, vice president of government affairs for the Vermont Chamber. “The Vermont Chamber stands ready to collaborate with stakeholders in developing and implementing this program effectively.”

According to the release, the Vermont Chamber detailed several key features of the Natural Disaster Paycheck Protection Program, including an eligibility criterion for small and medium-sized businesses, technical support to assist businesses with navigating the application process, and transparent reporting mechanisms with stringent oversight to ensure that funds are allocated responsibly.

The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, recently announced its 2023 grant awards to working lands entrepreneurs, totaling $897,600 to support businesses improvements and improve water quality.

This year, 22 farmers were awarded $755,041 to invest in on-farm capital improvements that enhance water quality. Additionally, 16 farm and forest businesses were awarded $142,559 to complete projects that support business development and viability.

These projects will improve manure management and soil health, reduce runoff, minimize feed imports into Vermont, and ultimately support the long-term success of farm enterprises.

2023 Water Quality Grant Awards:

Boyden Farm, Cambridge: $40,000 for a no-till planter with banding fertilizer system

Bridgeman View Farm, Franklin: $40,000 for a feed bunk

Bryce Farm Inc., Cambridge: $40,000 for a silage bunk, barnyard, and lined pit

Cornerstone Dairy LLC, Barton: $40,000 for a manure injection system

Four Girls Dairy, Fairfield: $40,000 for a hay merger

John & Tammy Thibeault, Irasburg: $40,000 for a waste storage structure

L.F. Hurtubise and Sons Inc., Richford: $40,000 for a dragline system

McGarry Dairy, Enosburg: $30,175.00 for silage drainage

Morin Farm, Derby: $40,000 for manure storage

Nelson Farms VT LLC, Irasburg: $21,080.68 for a no-till drill

Rainville Bros. Dairy LLC, Enosburg: $40,000 for a feed storage pad

Richville Farms, Whiting: $40,000 for a replacement hoop barn

Riverview Dairy, LLC, Franklin: $40,000 for feed storage

Rogers Farmstead, Berlin: $40,000 for a composting manure storage barn

Sanders VI LLC, Swanton: $40,000 for cover cropping equipment

Sawmill Brook Farm, Greensboro: $40,000 for a covered barnyard & manure storage

Shadagee Farm, Craftsbury: $15,125 for manure loading modifications

SVTFarm, Wells: $17,009 for winter livestock shelter and compost site

Sykes Hollow Land and Livestock, Pawlet: $11,651.82 for organic fertilizer equipment

Sylvain Farm LLC, St. Johnsbury: $40,000 for a manure management system

Taconic End Dairy, Leicester: $25,000 for a dairy bedded pack system

Wolf Ridge Dairy, Alburgh: $35,000 for a no-till drill

2023 Implementation Grant Awards

Hunger Moon Farm, Enosburg Falls: $10,000 for laying flock winter housing

Mama’s Farm, Williston: $10,000 for a slaughterhouse and hoop barn

Cobble Creek Nursery, Bristol: $10,000 for a Brillion sure stand seeder

Hillside Farm & Pearce’s Pastured Poultry, West Glover: $6,787 for poultry infrastructure and farm store set-up

The Goat Project, Bennington: $9,301 for milking system upgrade and cheese-making education

Dorset Peak Jerseys, Danby: $10,000 for cow to sheep infrastructure retrofit

Levy Lamb LLC, West Pawlet: $10,000 for a sheep handling system

Maple Cedar View Farm, Derby Line: $10,000 for a dairy parlor and loose storage

Leaping Bear Farm, Putney: $10,000 for poultry processing equipment

Gevry Firewood LLC, Addison: $10,000 for firewood processor electrification

Stella14 Wines, Cambridge: $9,621.59 for wine processing infrastructure

Endless Tracks LLC, Jeffersonville: $5,834 for a log grapple

VT Vineyards, Underhill: $8,074 for vineyard efficiency equipment

Trout Lily Forestry Services LLC, Westford: $6,794 for maple tubing installation

Fort Waite Farm, Corinth: $8,074 for feed bunk efficiency

Dhaurali Goats, Colchester: $8,074 for chicken slaughter facility repair

If your privately owned road or bridge was damaged or destroyed by Vermont’s July severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration may be able to provide financial assistance for replacement or repairs

To qualify, you must have owned and occupied your home at the time of the disaster, and a FEMA inspection must determine that repairs are necessary for a vehicle to access the property. In addition, you must meet at least one of the following conditions: The road or bridge is the only access to the property; no one can access the home due to damaged infrastructure; the safety of the occupants could be adversely affected because emergency services vehicles cannot reach the residence (this will only be considered if access was available before the disaster).

When multiple households share a privately-owned access route, each household should apply separately so they can be considered for all forms of aid. Assistance for the route will be shared among applicants, requiring additional coordination and documentation.

To apply, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, download the FEMA App or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362.

Private roads, including homeowners’ association roads, are not eligible for Public Assistance grants. However, roads owned by a tribal government may be eligible, even if they are not open to the public. For information about public assistance and how to apply, visit fema.gov/assistance/public.

U.S. Sen. Peter Welch released a statement ahead of elections in Ecuador on Aug. 20: “Violent crime, often gang-related, in Ecuador has tragically claimed thousands of lives and will be a key hurdle the country’s next elected leader must overcome. The assassinations of political leaders have shaken the country and demonstrate how equally important and fragile a free and fair electoral process is in the country. I will continue to stand with the Ecuadorian people as they demand a return to peace and a stronger democracy.”

Ecuador’s citizens will go to the polls on to elect a new president and legislature after President Guillermo Lasso’s dissolution of his own presidency and the legislative branch.

In 2008, Ecuador became the first country in the world to grant nature constitutionally protected rights and to give citizens a say in the protection of the environment and the management of the country’s natural resources.

Sens. Welch and Cory Booker, D-NJ, sent a letter this week to the United States Government Accountability Office, calling on the office to study interagency data collection on areas of the country that are unserved or underserved by water and wastewater infrastructure.

By some estimates, more than 2 million Americans lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

“This is an under researched and often neglected issue in American politics,” the lawmakers wrote. “All Americans — no matter where they live — deserve access to high-quality water infrastructure, and the federal government must more effectively collect data to ensure that federal dollars are targeting the communities of greatest need.”

In their letter, the lawmakers urged the GAO to study efforts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency to identify areas of the country that are unserved or underserved by water and wastewater infrastructure and examine the costs associated with installing and improving wastewater systems.

This week, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al. v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration et al.

According to a news release, the case challenged the FDA’s approval of mifepristone.

“For now, mifepristone remains safe, legal, and available throughout the country. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England health centers in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine will continue to offer medication abortion using the mifepristone protocol until further notice,” according to the release.

Nicole Clegg, acting CEO, Planned Parenthood Northern New England, said, “Planned Parenthood of Northern New England continues to offer medication abortion to our patients. We have no plans to change our protocol at this time. … Today’s ruling is the latest politically motivated attack on abortion access and reproductive health care. Anti-abortion extremists relied on junk science, cherry-picked judges to hear this case, and are intent on sowing chaos and confusion in this unprecedented assault on not only medication abortion but the (FDA) authority to approve medications of all kinds.”

This week, Welch commemorated the one-year anniversary of the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act.

“The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act was a win for Vermont families, our economy, and the green energy future–and one year later it’s clear this law is delivering on its promises for our communities. We worked closely with the Biden administration to include key Vermont priorities in this bill – including provisions to lower the cost of prescription drugs, expand access to home energy upgrades, and tackle climate change. And importantly, it will create good-paying jobs right here in Vermont,” he said. “Making sure this law–and the transformative programs within it – get implemented quickly and fairly will be key. No person, and no community, should be left out.”

According to Welch, the Inflation Reduction Act will bring an estimated $170 million of investment in clean power to Vermont through 2030, and provide the state’s communities, families and businesses with historic tax credits that will create jobs in clean energy industries like solar, wind, and geothermal, and efficiency. The bill will support our local economies by creating jobs, boosting U.S. manufacturing, and slashing costs for small businesses. It will lower the costs of prescription drugs for seniors, expand health care coverage for millions of Americans living in rural communities, and cap the prices of many life-saving and essential drugs. In total, the Center for American Progress credits the Inflation Reduction Act with 272 newly announced clean energy projects and estimates the bill has created over 170,000 jobs.

The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law on Aug. 16, 2022.

Compiled by the staffs of The Times Argus and Rutland Herald.