Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, vice chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, has announced that the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets will soon receive funding from USDA to create regional a Dairy Business Innovation Initiative, one of only three such initiatives in the country.

The farm bill directs USDA to create at least three regionally located initiatives across the country. Vermont was selected to host one of the initiatives through a competitive grant-making process. The other two initiatives will be in Wisconsin and Tennessee.

The Senate Appropriations Committee is currently working on the fiscal year 2020 appropriations bill to fund USDA. Leahy has secured an additional $20 million to support the three initiatives in that bill. If advanced by the committee, it will need to be approved by the Senate and the House before ultimately being signed by President Donald Trump.

Once established, the ag agency will work in Vermont to provide technical and financial assistance to help dairy producers diversify their products, demonstrate innovative on-farm production practices, and adapt to emerging market trends, with the overall goal of improving dairy farm viability. The agency will also support work in surrounding states.

“I have made this a top priority on both the Agriculture and Appropriations committees because this is a crucial time for dairy producers in Vermont and the region," he says. "Our state and our farmers are uniquely suited to lead the dairy sector toward a viable future. In recent years, Vermont has been significantly impacted by the downturn in the dairy economy, but our farmers demonstrate daily the opportunities for innovation and diversification,.

“Innovation is a key to value-added agriculture in Vermont, and diversification makes us more resilient. I’m proud to have secured this funding through the appropriations process and am delighted that Anson Tebbetts and his team at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture wrote a winning project proposal. As Congress negotiates the final spending bills for 2020, I will continue to make this a high priority.”

“These dollars will help sustain and enhance Vermont’s dairy farms and, most importantly, will help farm families innovate as the industry continues to evolve,” says Gov. Phil Scott. “I appreciate our congressional delegation’s continued support of Vermont’s dairy sector and farms. Our farmers are innovative by nature and with this funding we can work to strengthen Vermont dairy statewide.”

Having won the competitive bid, Vermont will now serve as the region’s Dairy Business Innovation Initiative for the next three years. Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch sent a joint letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue in support of the state’s proposal. 

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