Vermont Flood Recovery Resources

"I feel like there's a lot of pressure on Gen Z to [be] the change, 'You're the generation that's gonna do everything!’ We didn't ask for that. [ F.E.A.S.T.] was a chance to connect with other students who have a similar interest as me, who care about the environment and what we’re doing to it and share ideas.”

–C.R.A.F.T. high school student on the first annual F.E.A.S.T. Youth Summit in Fayston,
a youth-organized day of food systems and sustainability held this past spring

Climate change weighs heavy on our minds this summer—and those of the students we support—with record-breaking temperatures around the world and, here in Vermont, devastating flooding that experts have called a classic climate change event. 

July’s heavy rains were strong enough to impact just about every Vermont farm, even those that weren’t directly flooded. Schools and community gardens experienced major damage, as well, and will all need extra support to recover. While farm to school and early childhood is working to build the resilient and connected communities we need to weather storms and take action for a sustainable and just future, there are immediate responses, too. 

We’re sharing a range of resources and opportunities for educators, students, farmers, and community members. If you have ideas or questions about how farm to school and early childhood organizations can support your program or others, please reach out to us at [email protected]. We’ll get through this together.
 

Classrooms & School Gardens

• Garden Flood Resources from The Vermont Garden Network: an extensive FAQ and resource listing for impacted gardens.
• For schools seeking funding to repair flood damaged gardens, check out these KidsGardening Grant Opportunities for garden repairs, and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Farm to School & Early Childhood Grant program will open in October, and may be a good funding source for rebuilding, and expanding farm to school programs. 
• Show your local farmers some love this fall: consider having students write notes of gratitude and solidarity to impacted farms. Here’s a sweet example from a few years back.
• Many sustainable and organic farms were impacted by the floods—farms whose practices work to mitigate the effects of climate change, even as they themselves sit on the frontlines of its impact here in our state. Incorporate age-appropriate themes of climate change, resilience, and justice in classrooms with our Network’s recorded webinar.
  • Interested in a facilitated professional learning workshop at your school on these topics? Reach out to the Vermont Farm to School & Early Childhood Network to learn more.
• If your school or early childhood program garden was impacted by severe weather and flooding in July 2023, please fill out the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets Severe Weather and Flooding Loss & Damage Survey.
• Talking with students about traumatic topics: 
  • SAMHSA.gov’s Guide for Parents and Educators Tips for Talking to Children and Youth After Traumatic Events
  • ChildMind.org’s Helping Children Cope After a Traumatic Event
  • Sesame Street’s  Here for Each Other, Helping Families After Emergencies
     

Cafeteria

• Want to support local farms, but not sure where to start? We can help connect you with farmers, secure funding to support your local purchasing, or find an interim farm to maintain your local purchasing this summer or fall. That said, remember those original partner farms, as your support will be more important than ever when they return. Reach out to Kayla Strom at [email protected].
• Check out our local purchasing resources and additional tools specific to Vermont’s Local Foods Incentive Grant program, which we provide technical assistance for, too.
• NOFA-VT has published a Farm Sales + Distribution Matchmaking Tool to coordinate farm and food-related needs and offers across the state. If your school has a need or offer that farm or food businesses might benefit from, please feel free to list it.
   

Community

• NOFA-VT’s Farmer Emergency Fund is providing impacted farms with fast, flexible funding. If your school is organizing a fundraiser for flood relief this fall, consider supporting this effort to get funding to Vermont’s farming community.
• 3SquaresVT Hot Food Waiver: The State of Vermont is temporarily allowing 3SquaresVT/SNAP participants to buy hot and hot prepared foods at SNAP-authorized retailers (grocery stores, general and convenience stores, farmers markets, etc) through September 17.
• Families with children in Vermont’s public schools were awarded P-EBT benefits to spend on SNAP-eligible foods this summer—triple your benefits toward SNAP-eligible foods through August at Vermont farmers markets with Crop Cash & Crop Cash Plus.
• Vermont Emergency Eats (VEE) meals are available to any Vermonter whose food security has been negatively impacted as a result of the July 2023 flooding event.

For additional resources, we suggest visiting the listings at  Vermont Farm to Plate, NOFA-VT and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets.