Small farmers hit by extreme weather could get assistance from proposed insurance program

By LISA RATHKE
Associated Press

MIDDLESEX, Vt. (AP) — Since catastrophic flooding hit Vermont in July and waterlogged crops, some farmers are trying to figure out how to get to the next season. Water washed away seeds planted in the summer at Bear Roots Farm in Middlesex, Vermont. Farmers and co-owners Jon Wagner and Karin Bellemare are now asking themselves whether they want to take out a loan to plant all those seeds again — especially since it’s currently raining in January in Vermont. They support legislation introduced last month by Vermont U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, Sen. Bernie Sanders, as well as senators from Massachusetts, that aims to create an insurance program for small produce farms facing similar losses.