Vermont farmers ask lawmakers for help
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Vermont farmers are asking the state to help them improve their practices and the environment.
Dozens of farmers told lawmakers Friday they're doing their part to keep Vermont's waterways and environment clean and they want to do more.
Some farmers were emotional as they described the challenges they face. One proposal calls for payments to farmers for producing quantified environmental benefits.
Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts says healthier soil created by farmers helps retain more water and reduce pollutants, and the use of cover crops is helping to reduce erosion and sequester carbon.
"We are leading the nation at this but we need to do more. The public wants more and I'm hearing farmers are stepping up and they want to do more and they want help from our government," Tebbetts said.
"I want to be able to tell my 1-year-old son that he might have a chance to follow his dad's, grandfather's and great-grandfather's footsteps to live off and protect the land," farmer Scott Magnan said.
Farmers would receive payments for services that improve ecosystems, which could be used to make new environmental investments.
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