Vermont Food Security Roadmap Strategies Advance through Legislative Session

Vermont Food Security: Roadmap to 2035 

Vermont Farm to Plate Network’s Food Security Plan Priority Strategy Team members, now operating as the Farm to Plate Vermont Food Security Coalition, worked with Legislators to advance Roadmap strategies during the 2024/2025 Legislative session. Below are summaries of Vermont Food Security Roadmap to 2035 objectives moved forward during the 2024 Vermont State Legislative session.

Budget Requests  

• Funding request for support of NOFA-VT’s Crop Cash and Farm Share programs  
  • Roadmap Objective G5: Ensure consistent, dignified access to nourishing, adequate, culturally relevant food, today and in the future. Strategy G5.2 (pp 24- 25)
  • Result: $300k in the final version of the budget ($240k in the budget, $60k on the contingency list)
• Funding request for Meals on Wheels using federal Medicaid funding
  • Roadmap Objective G5: Ensure consistent, dignified access to nourishing, adequate, culturally relevant food, today and in the future. Strategies G5.1, G5.2 (pp 24- 25)
  • Result: Adds approximately $2 million in funding from Medicaid to match $1 million in general fund dollars appropriated in FY24.
• Funding request for Vermont Foodbank for $5 million in base funding
  • Roadmap Objective G5: Ensure consistent, dignified access to nourishing, adequate, culturally relevant food, today and in the future. Strategy G5.2  (pp 24- 25)
  • Result: $1.3 million included on the contingency list for the legislature’s final version of the budget.
• Funding request for 211 to return to operating 24 hours a day, 7 days per week
  • ​​​​​Roadmap Objective G5: Access 100% of federal funding available for Vermonters by completing the streamlined, accessible enrollment system. Strategy G5.3 (pp 18-19)
  • Result: 211 fully funded for 24/7 coverage in the legislature’s final version of the budget.
• 3SquaresVT minimum benefit transition plan
  • Roadmap Objective G1: The State guarantees Vermonters have the necessary financial resources to meet their basic needs. Strategy G1.1 (pp 16-17)
  • Result: Was not included in any bill or budget line
• Funding request for Working Lands Enterprise Initiative for $1.5 million in base funding
  • Roadmap Objective A2: Accelerate the permanent conservation of Vermont’s agricultural lands as working farms. Strategy A2.3 (pp 34-35)
  • Result: In Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets budget, $1 million remained in the legislature’s final version of the budget.

Policy Bills

• SNAP Restaurant Meals Program
  • Roadmap Objective G5: Ensure consistent, dignified access to nourishing, adequate, culturally relevant food, today and in the future. Strategy G5.2 (pp 24- 25)
  • Result: Passed as language in S.310 as a report back to the legislature about this potential change to state option for SNAP Restaurant Meals Program.
• S.310 - Disaster planning, recovery, and resiliency bill
  • Roadmap Objectives G2. G3. G4. G6. Included conversations about strategies G2.2, G2.3, G2.1, G3.2, G3.3, and G3.4, touched on early changes to lay the foundation for strategy G4 and asked specifically for G4.5, as well as portions of G6. (pp 18-23, 27)
  • Result: Passed and was signed by the Governor. This bill includes food security language added to planning committees, and addressing food in emergency and disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
• Land Access and Opportunity Board
  • Roadmap Objective A2: Accelerate the permanent conservation of Vermont’s agricultural lands as working farms. Strategy A2.2 (pp 34-35)
  • Result: $1 million is included in H.687 to support the LAOB. This bill was enacted.