Vermont Food Bank asks for $1.5 million to expand "Vermonters Feeding Vermonters" farm-purchase program

Carrie Taylor, senior manager of government relations for the Vermont Food Bank, asked the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee on Jan. 30 for a $1.5 million budget adjustment for FY26 to fully fund the state portion of the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters farm-purchasing program. "Vermont Food Bank is seeking 1,500,000.0 in budget adjustment for FY26, which would fully fund the state portion of the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters program," Taylor told the committee.

Taylor said the program is designed both to support farm viability and to get locally grown food to Vermonters at no cost. "Although Vermont Food Bank is the entity seeking that money, we are essentially spending all of those funds with Vermont farms," she said, describing three program components: large-scale direct purchasing for high-volume farm sales, regranting to partner organizations to reach smaller farms, and culturally responsive purchasing to meet communities' specific needs.

Taylor told the committee that the $500,000 received earlier in FY26 was expended quickly and that planning decisions for spring and summer contracting are underway. She said the Food Bank currently has $400,000 in the budget adjustment account and is seeking additional funds to meet anticipated demand and to contract with farms now so growers can make planting and capacity decisions.

She cited program benefits for farms and local economies, saying a 2016 study at UVM cited by presenters estimated a roughly 1.6 multiplier — "every dollar spent on local food purchase adds an additional 60 cents to the local economy" — and noted that direct purchasing reduces processing burdens for small farms by allowing bulk deliveries to regional distribution centers.

Committee members asked about meat purchases and partner capacity. Taylor said direct-purchase funds have been used for meat and that some partner organizations will need freezer capacity and USDA processing for whole-animal purchases; regrants can support those transactions where partners have the infrastructure.

No formal appropriation vote occurred at the hearing; the request will be considered through the budget adjustment process and the committee signaled support for further consideration during appropriations planning.