By the Journal-Opinion
With estimated agricultural losses from July flooding of $12 million and rising, the State of Vermont has formed a task force to help the state’s farmers recover.
“This panel will deliver a report to federal and state policy makers in the coming weeks focusing on short-term and long-term strategies to help Vermont agriculture recover and become more resilient,” states a news release from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets.
The announcement comes as interim survey results have found that the state’s agricultural sector sustained at least $12 million in damage. So far, only 205 respondents have completed the survey, which will remain open until Aug. 28 and is open to businesses, organizations or individuals that raise animals and/or grows feed or crops for anyone beyond immediate family.
Some preliminary survey results:
| Number of responses | 205 |
| Total estimated losses | $12,283,704 |
| Total impacted acreage | 18,170 |
| Average % of annual income lost | 30% |
| Most Significant Damage | Percentage of Respondents |
| Loss of crops meant for wholesale or retail markets | 38% |
| Loss of crops meant for animal feed | 35% |
| Damage to Soils or Land | 20% |
| Damage to Infrastructure or Equipment | 7% |
Agricultural Damages Reported by Vermont County
| Franklin County | $289,000 | Chittenden County | $1,552,725 |
| Orleans County | $334,025 | Essex County | $120,000 |
| Lamoille County | $1,287,300 | Caledonia County | $971,963 |
| Washington County | $1,064,700 | Addison County | $2,056,955 |
| Rutland County | $391,000 | Windsor County | $1,101,225 |
| Bennington County | $2,005,000 | Windham County | $667,200 |
| Orange County | $442,611 |
Categories: Agriculture
Will the organic farms have to wait five years to grow crops to sell again? Haven’t heard a word about that. They sure aren’t organic anymore with what was in the water.
Is anyone keeping tabs on how many task forces, councils, boards and committees will be formed in the wake of the flood? A grifter’s paradise indeed. New Vermont joke: How many members of a task force (committee, board or council) does it take to screw in a light bulb, approve the type of light bulb, and the type of energy to light it? The answer: A task force has been apppointed to provide the answer after a support staff is hired, a special department formed, and all data is compiled from ChatGPT. Carry on!
I don’t know anything, and I mean ANYTHING, about what I am just going to say but,…. I’ve heard more then one person say that the streams and rivers are wider then they used to be. Folks in the past were allowed to dredge out the waterways that went through their property. This kind of care is not allowed by ‘civilians’ anymore and obviously not undertaken by the state. I know we had an I credible amount of rain, however could some of this have been avoided had old practices been in place?
Just asking
If I go back in memory, didn’t Senator Leahy fight for Vermonters to have crop insurance? If so, why didn’t any of these agricultural enterprises use it?