Interim Survey Data Highlights Severe Weather Impacts for Vermont Agriculture

Millions of dollars in damage – Recovery Taskforce announced

August 14, 2023 | Montpelier, VT – One month after a devasting flood the economic reality is becoming clearer.  Vermont’s farmers, agricultural businesses, and communities sustained millions of dollars in damage and face strong head winds to recover. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) has developed and disseminated a survey requesting information from farms, agricultural businesses, and service and non-profit organizations to understand the overall impact of this natural disaster. The purpose of this survey is to capture the type and scale of the damage agricultural producers suffered throughout the state between July 7 and July 18, 2023.

At the time of this release, the survey has been open for 15 days and received over 200 responses. Below is some of the data collected:

Other significant data collected from Vermont farmers to date:

The survey will remain open for farmers to submit their information until August 28, 2023.  VAAFM asks that any farmer, agricultural business, or organization that raises animals and/or grows feed or crops for anyone beyond your immediate family, to kindly fill out this survey. It typically takes between 5 and 10 minutes to complete.  If you submit the survey and later determine that you suffered additional losses, you can re-submit as many times as necessary. If you re-submit, please only re-submit new damages. 

Other important data collected to date: Agricultural Damages Reported by Vermont County

• Over 69% of respondents do not carry crop insurance.

Survey results can be viewed through an online Dashboard, auto-updated daily at 8am.

Respondents should focus their survey responses on impacts resulting from the flooding and severe weather experienced between July 7 and 18, 2023. VAAFM is aware that a widespread freeze event in May has also impacted producers.  A USDA disaster declaration was signed by Secretary Tom Vilsack on July 21^st to assist producers impacted by that extreme weather event.

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 Dr. Roy Beckford of UVM Extension and Nicole Dubuque of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets. 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.

Images L to R: Dr, Fitzroy Beckford - UVM Extension | Nicole Dubuque - Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

• For more information and to complete the survey, please visit: Severe Weather & Flood, Loss and Damage Survey. If you would like to request a paper copy or need assistance with this survey, please contact Drew Watson at andrew.watson@vermont.gov or 802-636-7793.

• For a Spanish translation survey, please visit: Encuesta de pérdidas y daños por condiciones meteorológicas extremas e inundaciones

• To view the Severe Weather & Flood, Loss & Damage Survey dashboard, please visit: https://agriculture.vermont.gov/loss-damage-survey-dashboard

VAAFM continues to encourage all farms and agricultural operations that have suffered flood impacts to report those damages and/or 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 agr.floodresponse@vermont.gov, or call 802-828-5667.

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Scott Waterman | VAAFM Director of Communications and Policy | 802-622-4662 | Scott.Waterman@vermont.gov