Water covered the tops of the corn stalks at Conant鈥檚 Riverside Farms in Richmond last month, when the field along the Winooski River flooded. About half of the corn crop and most of the hay crop died or suffered damage from the floods and the wet ground in the weeks since.
Now, many of the corn stalks have popped back up. Small ears of corn are still growing. But it鈥檚 uncertain whether the crop here will be safe to feed to the farm's cows when it comes time to harvest. Still, this farm was lucky.
鈥淭here are many farms that would feel fortunate to have this right here,鈥� Dave Conant, who runs the farm with his family, said on a tour of the damaged fields Monday.
Many farmers in the region have faced significant crop losses, even those that weren鈥檛 directly hit by the floods. In a survey by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, totaling over $12 million, likely a significant under count according to federal estimates, and over half anticipate a feed shortage in the months ahead.
"Across the board in agriculture in Vermont, we do need the help,鈥� Conant said. 鈥淭his is beyond our control."
鈥淲e鈥檝e all been impacted in one way or another,鈥� added Tim Kayhart, who runs a dairy farm in West Addison. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 cut hay in six weeks.鈥�
Kayhart and other members of the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition, along with federal and state politicians, gathered at the Conants' farm on Monday, at an event organized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Cameron Clark, who runs a small organic dairy in Williston told state and federal officials that three-quarters of her pasture sat underwater during the floods, and she hasn鈥檛 been able to use the land since. Her cows have been in a barn.
"I don鈥檛 know how we鈥檙e going to be able to feed all the cows through the winter as well.鈥�Cameron Clark, Riverhill Farms
鈥淲e鈥檝e had to buy feed, which is really expensive,鈥� Clark said. 鈥淲e have only about half of our normal winter crop stored up. And so I don鈥檛 know how we鈥檙e going to be able to feed all the cows through the winter as well.鈥�
The moisture has been a problem in other ways.
鈥淥ur heifers that are outside all summer long, we鈥檙e starting to see some hoof conditions,鈥� said LeAnna Compagna, an organic dairy farmer at Scholten Family Farm in Whiting, where the path to their pasture was washed out. 鈥淲hen their feet are in moisture like that all the time, the tissues get soft and feet start to swell,鈥� she said.
Members of Vermont's congressional delegation and representatives from the USDA told a crowd of farmers and reporters they鈥檙e doing everything they can to help.
鈥淭he challenges that we face are not only rebuilding and making sure Vermont agriculture remains strong today, we have got to do a lot of planning for the future,鈥� said Sen. Bernie Sanders. 鈥淚t ain't going to be easy and it鈥檚 not going to be inexpensive.鈥�
Last week, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to cover certain costs. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 far more to come,鈥� said USDA Under Secretary Robert Bonnie.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at legislation that will convert those loan programs into grant programs.鈥�Sen. Bernie Sanders
Some low-interest loans are available to farmers, but Sanders acknowledged their limitations.
鈥淟ow interest loans may help but it鈥檚 not good enough,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e looking at legislation that will convert those loan programs into grant programs.鈥�
There are a number of cost-sharing programs and grants already in place, but they have their drawbacks too, and only about 20% of farmers have crop insurance, according to the recent Vermont Agency of Agriculture survey.
鈥淭he challenge with an event like this, it often overwhelms those programs,鈥� Bonnie added. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 important for Congress to think about, are there additional resources that we need.鈥�
Lexi Krupp is a corps member with , a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and regions.
