LETTER: Climate initiatives are investments in Vt. farmers, future

March 28, 2025  |  By Jaiel Pulskamp

I want you to imagine standing in a field surrounded by 9,000 beautiful, healthy Brussels sprout plants—months of careful planning, hard work, and abundance growing from the soil. But then, in a matter of days, relentless rain pounds the earth, drowning the roots, rotting the harvest, and washing away not just my crops but also my livelihood.

This was the reality for many farmers in the summer of 2023 when an otherwise ordinary storm swept through Vermont. It wasn’t a hurricane or some historic, once-in-a-lifetime storm—it was just another rainstorm in Vermont—except now, even “normal” storms are devastating.

I’ve been an organic farmer for 16 years with the mission to grow nutritious food to feed my community. I cared for the soil, nurtured biodiversity, and worked in rhythm with the land. But no amount of careful stewardship can hold back the rising tide of climate change. 

When extreme weather wipes away farmers’ harvests, when climate change fuels extreme storms, small-scale farmers—especially small growers working in harmony with the land—face devastating losses. They lose their incomes and often bear the financial risk alone, with little safety net. When crops fail, local healthy products don’t reach markets, and neighbors and families lose access to fresh, local food. Rural economies shrink if small farms go under, and good agricultural jobs disappear. We risk losing much of what makes Vermont a wonderful place to live.

If we do not address these vulnerabilities, work to reduce emissions, and set up safeguards now, we will have a food system dominated by large-scale industrial farming. The only farms that will survive will be those that depend on chemicals and excessive tillage and produce emissions that harm ecosystems and human health. This will intensify climate feedback loops until these farms can no longer survive in extreme climate conditions, and our entire food system will collapse. 

How we farm, protect our land, and respond to climate change directly impacts the social determinants of health—the conditions that shape how we live, work, and thrive. Food, in my opinion, is the most essential determinant of all, and begins with how we protect our environment. If we ignore the climate crisis, our farms and communities will deteriorate. We have an obligation – and an opportunity – to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and move our state to more clean, local, energy-independent resources. In doing so, we must do our part to mitigate the high cost and deeply consequential risks of ongoing, insufficient efforts to cut planet-destabilizing pollution.

We need a government of compassion, not austerity. We need lawmakers and Governor Scott to be forward-thinking and recognize what is at stake. We need real solutions – not rhetorical support. The well-being of Vermont’s farmers, families, and future generations is on the line.  

Vermont committed to climate resilience with the Global Warming Solutions Act, a landmark law that holds the state accountable for reducing carbon emissions and protecting communities from climate impacts in a just and cost-effective way. This law is critical to ensuring a future where farmers can withstand extreme weather, local food systems remain strong, and we all do our part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

We do not need bill H.289, which has been introduced in the Vermont House of Representatives and seeks to reverse our climate progress and gut the Global Warming Solutions Act – essentially continuing to punt on essential climate solutions. If Vermont retreats on climate action – when state leadership is more critical than ever as President Trump doubles down on fossil fuels – the result will be failed crops and increased economic instability. 

That reality directly threatens the health of every Vermonter who relies on clean air, stable weather, and a secure food system. We must not let that happen – far too much is at stake. We must protect our farms, food, families, and future. That is why I am calling on legislators to reject this harmful bill and instead focus on building a regenerative food system and renewable energy economy. 

Jaiel Pulskamp has been an organic farmer for over 15 years. She lives in Worcester and is an appointed member of the Vermont Climate Council, representing the agriculture sector.