Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, on Wednesday pressed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins about the Department’s progress in delivering over $62 million in disaster aid relief to Vermont communities impacted by devastating floods in July of 2023 and 2024. During his questioning, Secretary Rollins confirmed that $31.7 million in disaster aid block grant funding was approved for deployment to Vermont imminently. Governor Scott confirmed the grant was signed on Thursday.
Sen. Welch: Vermont has had very significant damage from floods that we had in 2023 and 2024, and I’ve had a chance to talk to you. But let me just ask you, if you can tell us Vermonters, what the status is of the disaster assistance block grant, and then also the USDA Rural Development Disaster Assistance Fund. Both of those are $31 million—we’ve been going through the process, and hopefully the money will be delivered. It’ll make a huge difference to us in Vermont.
Secretary Rollins: That’s right...I grew up in the summers on my grandparents’ row crop farm in Minnesota, so I knew row crops, and I knew cotton and cattle coming into this job. I did not know specialty crops obviously as much, and you and others again working across the aisle, and some of your colleagues from the Northeast and in California frankly have just been really, really good at making sure that I fully understand the challenges facing our specialty crop producers. So, the block grant that you’re speaking of, most of the Northeast is in paperwork process, some of them are complete...I’ll follow up with you on that. If it hasn’t been deployed yet, then it will be imminently.
Sen. Welch: We’re talking about two things: the disaster assistance, that’s $31.7 million, and then the USDA disaster assistance fund—your office has been responsive to me, but what I understand is that both of those are on track for deployment quite soon, right?
Secretary Rollins: Well, in fact, the crack staff behind me said that we signed Vermont yesterday. So, it’s done and should be moving out—the block grant piece of that.
Senator Welch has advocated for disaster aid funding throughout Vermont’s catastrophic back-to-back flooding, including touring flood damage to homes and infrastructure in Orwell, Hardwick, Moretown, Plainfield, Barre, Barnet, St. Johnsbury, Peacham, and Lyndonville.
Governor Scott and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) announced June 11 that an agreement has been signed, unlocking $31.7 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) for the Vermont Agriculture and Timber Disaster Assistance Block Grant. The award provides supplemental disaster assistance under the American Relief Act of 2025, which was passed by Congress in December 2024.
“The impacts of severe storms in the last couple of years are still being felt across Vermont,” said Governor Phil Scott. “These programs are important to helping Vermont adapt to these weather challenges and develop sustainable systems for the future, and I want to thank USDA for their partnership.”
Under the agreement, the State of Vermont will receive $31.7 million in funding to administer through VAAFM. The grant will cover a variety of categories for Vermont farmers and producers, including:
- Eligible infrastructure
- Timber
- Market losses
- Future economic losses
- Bare-ground practices necessary to mitigate land loss
This funding will provide essential aid to agricultural operators whose livelihoods have been jeopardized by severe weather and flooding events in 2023 and 2024.
“Weather is always a challenge for farmers, especially during frosts, floods and droughts,” said Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts. “The events of 2023 and 2024 challenged our farmers, farms, producers and food systems, and this new funding from USDA will help bring stability to all of them. I want to thank Senator Peter Welch and Vermont’s congressional delegation, as well as USDA, for their thoughtful work and support of Vermont agriculture, farmers, families and communities.”
“Vermont’s forest economy depends on the people who manage, harvest, and steward working forests every day,” said Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Danny Fitzko. “Severe weather events have created real challenges for forest landowners and loggers alike, from damaged timber stands to suspended logging operations. This funding will help support recovery on the ground while strengthening the long-term resilience of Vermont’s working lands.”
With the agreement signed, work now begins to build the program in Vermont, accept applications and issue grants that will cover qualifying losses not addressed by other USDA disaster programs. VAAFM expects the program to open for applications in 2026.
Last summer, on the anniversaries of Vermont’s catastrophic floods of July 2023 and 2024, Senator Welch introduced the Disaster Assistance Improvement and Decentralization (AID) Act, which would cut red tape and support hazard mitigation efforts, make the delivery of disaster aid more efficient and effective, provide technical assistance to small towns and communities impacted by natural disasters, and block the White House from withholding funding for disaster response. The bill was inspired and shaped by the disaster recovery experience of communities across Vermont. He also introduced the Rural Recovery Act, which would create a new program at USDA Rural Development (RD) to provide RD state offices with automatic funding for emergency recovery technical assistance after disasters take place in their jurisdiction.
To stay up to date on the status of the program, producers should visit the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets website at agriculture.vermont.gov/flood.
6.10.2026. WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch. 6.11.2026. Governor.
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