11/3/2025 - Montpelier, Vt. – The Disaster Recovery Loan Fund provides up to $100,000 in financial assistance to Vermont businesses; working lands enterprises including farms, logging operations, and sawmills; and not-for-profit organizations to recover from disaster damage.
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Montpelier, Vt. – The Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) is opening the Disaster Recovery Loan Fund to businesses, nonprofit organizations, and agricultural operations that have suffered from the recent severe drought. Funds may be used for a variety of drought relief initiatives including, but not limited to, drilling a well, hauling water, and buying feed.
“Even though we have benefitted some from recent rains, the drought persists across much of Vermont and the impact during the height of the growing season will continue to unfold for months,” says VEDA CEO Joan Goldstein. “To provide relief as quickly as possible, VEDA is standing by to process Disaster Recovery Loan Fund applications as they come in.”
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows 46% of Vermont is currently experiencing extreme drought. A letter to VEDA CEO Joan Goldstein signed by Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts, Commerce Secretary Lindsay Kurrle, and Forests, Parks, and Recreation Commissioner Danielle Fitzko requests Vermont agricultural businesses be able to access to VEDA’s Disaster Recovery Loan Fund to recover from the devastation brought on by this historic drought.
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets is currently running an online survey in an attempt to quantify the impact of Vermont’s extremely dry summer. To date, more than 130 respondents to the 2025 Agriculture Drought Survey have reported 61,000 impacted acres and estimate $12.8 million dollars in losses.
“As we approach winter, it is essential that farmers have access to meaningful support,” says Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts. “The fund established by VEDA will provide critical assistance to those working to recover from the severe drought conditions experienced this summer. Many farmers are facing significant financial challenges due to reduced crop yields, and this initiative will help them begin to rebuild and prepare for the seasons ahead.”
The $15 million Disaster Recovery Loan Fund was established in August 2025. It offers loans to eligible entities for declared disasters including the floods of 2023 and 2024. To learn more about the Disaster Recovery Loan Funding, including eligibility requirements, visit https://www.veda.org/drlf-veda.
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