WOODSTOCK, Vt. (WCAX) – The growing season for farmers is underway, but the soggy weather is an all too familiar reminder of last summer when flooding wreaked havoc across the region.
Wet weather is preventing farmers at the Billings Farm and Museum in Woodstock from getting to work in the fields. The fields provide the hay that feeds the milking cows in the barn. But last year, hay had to be shipped in, an added expense to the operation.
“Now we are looking at about 35 acres of ground that was damaged,” said farm manager Phil Ranney. Last July, the Ottaqeuchee River spilled its banks, completely saturating the ground. Silt and debris still remain long after the water receded. “We are waiting for the ground to dry out now so we can reseed it. We hope to state that next week if the ground is dry. We also still have one field that still has debris on it.”
Billings received some federal money for crop loss and is working to secure more for future mitigation. State agriculture officials say additional federal relief for debris removal could also be available.
“Last year was definitely rough,” said Heather Durkel, who along with her husband four years ago started Brook and Blossom, a flower company in South Pomfret. They lost about a quarter to a third of their crop last year, not just from the flooding but from wet weather. “Super rainy and definitely had an impact on our flower farm, our revenue, our crop, our production, everything,” Durkel said.
Dig Deep VT is a group of volunteers that formed to help raise additional private dollars for impacted farms. Durkel feels for the businesses that had it much worse than hers. “Produce that was unsalvageable, a flower farm in Burlington that flooded. They were literally in canoes. I mean, we didn’t suffer nearly as much,” she said.
Those who care about keeping the working landscape viable say they are all in it together. “Farmers are on the front lines of climate change and that was felt across the state and region for sure last year,” Ranney said.
Dig Deep VT will be announcing a series of grants next week at the Statehouse to help ease some of that financial impact.