Welch Provides Opening Remarks at NOFA’s Winter Conference

BURLINGTON, VT — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) delivered remarks to a gathering of over 300 organic farmers and food businesses at the Northeast Organic Farmers’ Association of Vermont’s (NOFA-VT) annual winter conference this weekend. “Vermont was an early pioneer of organic farming, and our organic farmers and producers remain crucial to our economy. Last year, I was proud to work across the aisle and secure bipartisan provisions in the Farm Bill to support Vermont’s organic industry. But thanks to Elon Musk’s influence, Republicans removed crucial funding for organic programs from the bill at the eleventh hour,” said Senator Welch . “Finding common ground to protect people and industries under threat from the Trump Administration, like our organic farmers and producers, will be vital in the days ahead. I’ll do everything I can to find common ground to support and strengthen our organic farms in Vermont.” As Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, Senator Welch has led efforts to support Vermont’s organic farms and the transition to organics. Senator Welch has introduced several bills to support Vermont’s dairy, organic, and specialty crop farmers; strengthen rural development and infrastructure; increase energy efficiency and renewable energy adoption; improve access to nutrition; strengthen our local food systems and expand markets; and make our communities more resilient to flooding—all of which were included in the Senate’s draft Farm Bill text during the 118 th Congress, the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act . Senator Welch plans to reintroduce many of these bills and policy provisions in the 119 th Congress. ###