Catastrophic flooding devastated farms across the region last month, including many that supply the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op. During the first week of August, we asked members to round up their change at the register to support NOFA-VT’s Farmer Emergency Fund—and you stepped up! Together, we raised a record-breaking $6,006. This money goes directly from donors to farmers with no strings attached, providing critical support when they need it most.
Since its establishment in 1997, the NOFA-VT Farmer Emergency Fund has supported farmers in times of challenge, and the extreme weather over the past 13 months has pushed the organization to raise more money than ever before. Last year, NOFA-VT supported over 100 farms with grants of $5,000 each. This money was raised by the sheer force of community solidarity. Your support truly makes a difference.
If more funds are raised than NOFA-VT has applications for, they will increase the funding available for each farm. Importantly, NOFA-VT does not take any administrative costs from the Emergency Fund, ensuring that all money directly reaches the farms in need.
For some farms, this will mark the start of a long rebuilding process. NOFA-VT will continue to advocate for meaningful federal and state disaster relief for farms, as the scale and scope of need far exceed what grants can cover. In the meantime, community support like the Farmer Emergency Fund helps farmers and farmworkers stay on their feet and make a plan for what’s next. Your donations provide a vital lifeline for farmers in the wake of this disaster, and we thank you for your support.
If you missed the fundraiser and would like to donate, you can give directly at this address: NOFA-VT Farmer Emergency Fund.