Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund Will Support Farmers Affected by Irene

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture has partnered with the Vermont Community Foundation to create the Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund (VFDRF), which will assist Vermont farms that sustained damage from Tropical Storm Irene. The relief fund will pool contributions from donors and will make grants directly to farmers affected by the storm. "Following Tropical Storm Irene, the Agency of Agriculture received calls from many farmers seeking guidance about lost land, lost crops, and lost livestock, as well as calls from Vermonters interested in supporting farmers," said Chuck Ross, Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture. "Until now, there was no designated fund to which we could direct callers. The Farm Disaster Relief Fund creates a vehicle where we can connect the resources of concerned donors to the needs of affected farmers who have suffered damages from tropical storm Irene." The Community Foundation and Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Ross will work together, in consultation with local organizations, to distribute the funds, which will be used by farmers to replace infrastructure as well as help cover losses sustained from the storm. Representatives from the Foundation and the Agency of Agriculture will meet within the coming week to further define the guidelines of the application process to the Relief Fund. "People across the country are interested in helping Vermont farmers. As we all know, many of these farmers lost everything," says the Vermont Community Foundation's President and CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay. "These resources will help them get through the next few months and allow them to begin to rebuild, restore, and get back on their feet." The Agency of Agriculture works to facilitate, support and encourage the growth and viability of Vermont agriculture while protecting the working landscape, human, animal and plant health and the environment. Visit www.vermontagriculture.com for more information. The Vermont Community Foundation has been helping donors give to the causes and organizations they care about since 1986. We are Vermont's largest and leading homegrown grantmaker. Together, our family of over 600 funds provides more than $10 million in grants per year. In addition, we help keep Vermont's nonprofit community vital by offering endowment management and planned giving services, and providing leadership in charitable giving of all kinds. Visit www.vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information. 09.06.2011