Vermont farmers, timber landowners and loggers can apply through Dec. 31 for payments covering weather losses in 2023 and 2024, and state staff are offering in-person application help Monday, Nov. 9, in Montpelier and Tuesday, Nov. 10, in St. Albans. Each applicant can receive up to 95% of demonstrated losses, capped at $75,000, according to the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.
The Vermont Agriculture and Timber Disaster Assistance Program opened applications Oct. 26 through the agency's online grants portal, which requires applicants to create an account and verify their email first. The agency's program page says late applications will not be accepted. Paper applications are available on request and must be postmarked or dropped off by Dec. 21. The governor's office, in its Sept. 30 announcement, said payments are anticipated in early 2027.
Money and phases
The governor's office announced the program as $31.7 million. The agency's program page says $25.8 million is available through it and does not explain the difference. The program is a one-time federal disaster block grant, administered by the agriculture agency with the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.
Money not paid out in this first phase is to fund a second phase for larger infrastructure projects costing more than $75,000. The governor's office said that phase will be competitive with a $750,000 maximum. No start date has been announced.
Who can apply
Applicants must have been farming or operating an eligible timber business in 2023 or 2024, must have had business losses from a qualifying weather event, and must still be operating. Public and governmental entities are not eligible. Qualifying events include the late frost and freeze of May 2023, storms and flooding in July and August of both years, excessive moisture in 2023, December 2023 flooding, windstorms and storms in January and April 2024, and August 2024 hail, winds and storms. Impacts from the 2025 drought are not eligible, the agency says, because the federal program was structured in 2024.
The program is not competitive: every eligible applicant with a complete application is paid. Agricultural losses that may qualify include infrastructure, market losses, future economic losses and land restoration practices. The timber side covers licensed forester assessment costs, and timber applicants may need a licensed forester's signed assessment.
Help sessions
The Montpelier session runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 116 State Street. The St. Albans session runs 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 431 Franklin Park West, Suite 100A. The agency lists more sessions from Nov. 16 through Dec. 15 in Middlebury, Newport, Berlin, St. Johnsbury, Rutland, Brattleboro or Bellows Falls, and Bennington County, most with locations still to be confirmed, and an applicant webinar on Tuesday, Nov. 17. One-on-one help by phone or Microsoft Teams is available at any time. Agriculture questions go to AGR.DisasterResponse@vermont.gov and timber questions to ANR.FPRFloods@vermont.gov.
