BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Flood recovery is still at the forefront in Washington as Senator Peter Welch tries to till up more support for Vermont farmers.
At a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing this week, Welch called for more help to Vermont farmers and communities impacted by natural disasters, such as this summer’s flooding and the frost in May.
He also asked about how to help smaller farmers take advantage of federal programs. These programs intend to make crop insurance more responsive after natural disasters, increase climate resilience funding, and offer more technical assistance during disasters.
“Essentially what happens when you have a flood and it’s a small town is the selectboard goes through the roaldex and finds out who has a backhoe, who has a truck, who has a front end loader – but there are long-term things that need to be done and that technical assistance is really helpful,” said Senator Welch.
Welch also shared his appreciation for the U.S. Department of Agriculture staff in Vermont, especially after this summer’s natural disasters.