MONTPELIER-Funding may be at risk for a nonprofit program that buys local food and gives it to Vermonters struggling with money - so its leaders are backing a bill that would solidify its budget through a state agency, rather than grants and donations.
Vermonters Feeding Vermonters, created and run by the Vermont Foodbank, helps get locally grown produce and protein into the hands of food-insecure Vermonters.
Started in 2018, the program provides money to purchase food wholesale from local farms, offers grants to community organizations and buys shares of community-supported agriculture programs, or CSAs.
The program is two-pronged: Farmers say it helps secure their bottom line, and officials in and outside the Legislature say it's vital to curbing hunger.
"Rather than investing Vermont dollars in fruit from Florida or potatoes from Maine, this program designated funding to support local Vermont producers," said Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun, D-Westminster, introducing H.167 to the Senate's agriculture committee after it passed the House earlier in April.
The bill looks to continue funding for the program through the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, with $2 million in general funds floated as a price tag.
"Food insecurity is increasing again as pandemic support programs have come to an end and with recent changes in federal funding," Bos-Lun told the Senate committee.
According to nationwide food bank network Feeding America, 1 in 9 people in Vermont face hunger.
"The No. 1 thing is to reduce food insecurity, which is far too high in a very wealthy state in a very wealthy nation," said lead bill sponsor Rep. Esme Cole, D-Hartford, in a phone call.
Since its inception, Vermonters Feeding Vermonters has been run by the Vermont Foodbank, a private nonprofit. The state has provided direct appropriations to the food bank in the past because "it's good at what it does," legislative counsel Michael O'Grady said in a February meeting in the House.
Officials outside the Legislature agree: The program is included in the state's 2021-2030 agriculture plan, which states, "There is universal agreement that support for food and farm businesses must be coupled with funding and policy to enable low-income consumers to access this local food."
Carrie Stahler, the senior manager for government and public affairs of the Vermont Foodbank, said the proposed legislation "codifies the relationship" between the state and the food bank. Stahler believes the bill would have an impact beyond food insecurity.
"This is part of Vermont making a commitment to farmers, local farms of all sizes and community members," Stahler said.
The federal agriculture census reported that in 2012, Vermont had 7,338 farms. That number dropped to 6,537 in 2022, the most recent survey, with many of the closures being small dairies.
The bill originally aimed to continue the program with $2 million from the general fund, money included in the Vermont Foodbank's total ask of $5 million. But the latest version of the bill strips away a specific dollar amount and says the state's running of the program is contingent on an appropriation from the 2026 fiscal year general fund.
Farmers participating in the program see it as vital for their businesses, giving them a chance to compete with larger out-of-state producers.
"Produce in Vermont at this point is not making a whole lot of money [...] and the Boston market is very competitive," said Melissa Mazza of Sam Mazza's Farm Market in Colchester.
Vermonters Feeding Vermonters can give local farms an edge over those competitors by paying market value for Vermont produce specifically.
Christa Alexander of Jericho Settlers Farm has been a member of the program since its inception. The food bank provides the farm with a stable market to sell around 10-15% of its root crops.
"It's nice to just have a known market, so that we can plan out our workflow, plan out pricing schemes," said Alexander. In addition, the program matches her philosophy about local food.
"Being able to feed the community with food that is grown here is such a win-win," Alexander said.
Graduate students from a University of Vermont's food systems policy class presented a project to the House agriculture committee on the program on April 10, saying it has contributed $3.8 million to Vermont's economy.
The students identified limited funding as the core issue challenging the program's efficacy. Small farms in particular have trouble accessing the program, as they often don't produce large enough quantities for the Vermont Foodbank to purchase wholesale. To combat that, the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters program includes mini-grants for organizations to distribute food from smaller farms.
The graduate researchers said mini-grant funding often varies, and the grants would be more effective with constant support.
This story comes via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship.
This News item by Sam Hartnett originally appeared in Community News Service and was republished in The Commons with permission.