Vermont
Small farmers hit by extreme weather could get assistance from proposed insurance program
MIDDLESEX, Vt. — Since catastrophic flooding hit Vermont in July and waterlogged crops, some farmers are trying to figure out how to get through the next season.
Water washed away seeds planted in the summer at Bear Roots Farm, which grows about 20 acres (8 hectares) of mostly root vegetables at a high altitude. Farmers and co-owners Jon Wagner and Karin Bellemare are now asking themselves whether they want to take out a loan to plant all those seeds again — especially since it’s currently raining in January in Vermont.
They estimate the extreme rainfall caused them a 50% financial loss of about $180,000. The pair support legislation introduced last month by Vermont U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, as well as senators from Massachusetts. The bill aims to create an insurance program for small produce farms facing losses from increasingly extreme weather in the Northeast and other parts of the country.
“In Vermont we had frost in May that hurt a lot of our farmers, particularly orchards, and then of course we had the devastating floods in July. And those floods really wiped out crops,” Welch said at a press conference Friday at Roots Farm Market.
The flooding affected nearly 28,000 acres of farmland in Vermont, causing over $16 million in losses and damage, Welch’s office said. That came after the May frost that caused $10 million in losses, particularly to apple and grape growers.
“Unfortunately, with all the various insurance programs that are there to back up our farmers we really don’t have an insurance program that will help our small vegetable farmers,” Welch said.
The current crop insurance program is inadequate because farmers have to identify how much of a crop was a particular vegetable and potentially only get the wholesale value but farms like Bear Roots Farm sell their produce retail, he said.
The legislation, called the Withstanding Extreme Agricultural Threats by Harvesting Economic Resilience or WEATHER act, directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to research the possibility of developing an index-based insurance program in which payouts would be based on agricultural income, according to Welch’s office.
More: Deja vu: Vermont gets flooded one week before Christmas
Grace Oedel, executive director of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, said the group has been working with hundreds of farmers who have had devastating losses but could not recoup them with the existing programs.
“So there’s been a patchwork effort to help people make it through the season,” she said.
Wagner said that to operate, they had taken out loans with a high interest rate — and when the extreme rains hit, they didn’t have a way to pay them back. They were able to acquire some funding locally and from other sources that didn’t completely bridge the gap but was enough to get them to the current moment, he said. Usually they sell their storage crops through June and July of the following year but now there’s not much left, he said.
A fundraising campaign launched earlier this month by some business and government leaders with hopes to raise $20 million for affected farmers while the need is higher at nearly $45 million, according to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets.
“There’s nobody who’s unaffected, whether you’re a perennial grape or apple grower, a dairy farmer trying to cut forage when it’s raining every other day all summer, or a vegetable farmer that might have been under four feet of water,” said Justin Rich, president of the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association, and a produce farmer in Huntington. “So it was just kind of whiplash for a lot of growers.
The 2026 Vermont high school spring season has begun. See below for scores, schedules and game details (statistical leaders, game notes) from baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, track and field and Ultimate.
TO REPORT SCORES
Coaches or team representatives are asked to report results ASAP after games by emailing sports@burlingtonfreepress.com. Please submit with a name/contact number.
►Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
▶ Contact Judith Altneu at JAltneu@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter: @Judith_Altneu.
SATURDAY’S H.S. GAMES
Baseball
Games at 11 a.m. unless noted
Champlain Valley at South Burlington 2 p.m.
Harwood at Montpelier, 2 p.m.
Essex at Mount Mansfield
BFA-Fairfax at Milton, 3 p.m.
Mount Abraham at Otter Valley, 3 p.m.
Missisquoi at Spaulding
Richford at Vergennes, 3 p.m.
Hazen at Lamoille, 2 p.m.
Randolph at Lake Region
Peoples at Lyndon, 2:30 p.m.
North Country at Oxbow, 3 p.m.
U-32 at Thetford
Blue Mountain at Caledonia United
Softball
U-32 12, Thetford 5
U: Megan Pittsley (WP, CG, 6H, 5R, 12K, 1BB). Ava Batdorff (2-for-4, 3 RBIs). Addison Coleman (2-for-3, 2B, 3 RBIs). Avery Burke (2B).
T: Chloe Caper (LP, CG, 7H, 7R, 5K, 8BB). Greta Johnson (HR). Brookle Chaffee (2B). Ellea Osgood (2-for-4, 2 RBIs). Austin Powers (2-for-2).
Note: U-32 scored six runs in the top of the seventh inning to seal the win.
Paine Mountain at Craftsbury
Blue Mountain at Danville
St. Johnsbury at Lyndon
Champlain Valley at South Burlington, 2 p.m.
Milton at BFA-Fairfax, 3 p.m.
Randolph at Lake Region
Essex at Mount Mansfield
Harwood at Rice, 2:30 p.m.
North Country at Oxbow, 3 p.m.
Vergennes at Spaulding, 3 p.m.
Mount Abraham at Otter Valley, 4:30 p.m.
Girls lacrosse
Middlebury at U-32, 11 a.m.
Essex at Mount Abraham/Vergennes, 2:30 p.m.
Mount Anthony at St. Johnsbury, 4:30 p.m.
Boys lacrosse
Games at 11 a.m. unless noted
Essex at BFA-St. Albans
Woodstock at Middlebury
Mount Mansfield at Champlain Valley
Rice at South Burlington
Stowe at Harwood, 1 p.m.
Mount Anthony at St. Johnsbury, 4:30 p.m.
Girls tennis
Mount Mansfield at Burlington
South Burlington at Colchester
Champlain Valley at Essex
Boys tennis
Essex at Champlain Valley
North Country at Mount Mansfield
South Burlington at Stowe
Girls Ultimate
Matches at 4 p.m.
St. Johnsbury at Burlington
Burr and Burton at South Burlington
Mount Mansfield at Champlain Valley
Middlebury at Milton
Track and field
Twilight Meet at South Burlington
Windsor Invitational
MONDAY’S H.S. GAMES
Baseball
Games at 4:30 p.m. unless noted
Vergennes at Mount Abraham
Lyndon at Lamoille
Softball
Games at 4:30 p.m. unless noted
Vergennes at Mount Abraham
Lyndon at Lamoille
Colchester at Burr and Burton
Girls lacrosse
Games at 4:30 p.m. unless noted
Mount Mansfield at Mount Abraham/Vergennes
Lamoille at Stowe
Spaulding at St. Johnsbury
Boys lacrosse
Games at 4:30 p.m. unless noted
Harwood at Mount Mansfield
Otter Valley at BFA-Fairfax
Stowe at Lyndon
Colchester at Spaulding
St. Johnsbury at Hartford, 6:30 p.m.
Boys Ultimate
Matches at 4 p.m.
Burlington at Middlebury
Essex at Milton
St. Johnsbury at South Burlington
Montpelier at Champlain Valley
(Subject to change)
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Vermont Lottery offers several draw games for those willing to make a bet to win big.
Those who want to play can enter the MegaBucks and Lucky for Life games as well as the national Powerball and Mega Millions games. Vermont also partners with New Hampshire and Maine for the Tri-State Lottery, which includes the Mega Bucks, Gimme 5 as well as the Pick 3 and Pick 4.
Drawings are held at regular days and times, check the end of this story to see the schedule.
Here’s a look at May 1, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Vermont Mega Millions numbers from May 1 drawing
16-21-27-41-61, Mega Ball: 24
Check Vermont Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Gimme 5 numbers from May 1 drawing
08-09-15-28-37
Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 1 drawing
Day: 8-0-7
Evening: 5-5-2
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 1 drawing
Day: 1-4-3-1
Evening: 6-5-2-0
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 1 drawing
17-24-26-28-55, Bonus: 04
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
For Vermont Lottery prizes up to $499, winners can claim their prize at any authorized Vermont Lottery retailer or at the Vermont Lottery Headquarters by presenting the signed winning ticket for validation. Prizes between $500 and $5,000 can be claimed at any M&T Bank location in Vermont during the Vermont Lottery Office’s business hours, which are 8a.m.-4p.m. Monday through Friday, except state holidays.
For prizes over $5,000, claims must be made in person at the Vermont Lottery headquarters. In addition to signing your ticket, you will need to bring a government-issued photo ID, and a completed claim form.
All prize claims must be submitted within one year of the drawing date. For more information on prize claims or to download a Vermont Lottery Claim Form, visit the Vermont Lottery’s FAQ page or contact their customer service line at (802) 479-5686.
Vermont Lottery Headquarters
1311 US Route 302, Suite 100
Barre, VT
05641
When are the Vermont Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
- Pick 4 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
- Pick 4 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
- Megabucks: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily
What is Vermont Lottery Second Chance?
Vermont’s 2nd Chance lottery lets players enter eligible non-winning instant scratch tickets into a drawing to win cash and/or other prizes. Players must register through the state’s official Lottery website or app. The drawings are held quarterly or are part of an additional promotion, and are done at Pollard Banknote Limited in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Vermont editor. You can send feedback using this form.
This commentary is by David Balto, an antitrust commentator and a former assistant director for policy and evaluation in the Bureau of Competition at the Federal Trade Commission and trial attorney in the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.
Supporting small businesses over big companies is in Vermonters’ DNA. The Green Mountain State was the first state to ban roadside billboards, and our tax code is written to support mom-and-pop shops over large corporations. Montpelier is the only state capital without a McDonald’s or a Starbucks. So why, days after a federal jury sided with Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark and more than 30 other states, ruling that Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation were operating an illegal monopoly, is the state Legislature advancing a policy that will help this corporation invade our state while undercutting our attorney general’s antitrust suit?
Live Nation, which owns and operates some of the largest music venues across the country, and Ticketmaster, which controls roughly 80% of the country’s initial ticket sales, merged in 2010. Since then, ticket prices are up 120%.
Since the merger, Live Nation-Ticketmaster has used tactics like the “velvet hammer” — withholding concerts from venues they do not control or work with — to consolidate power. Then they force fans to pay sky-high fees, from marking up parking passes to forcing venues to only sell water from a brand Live Nation owns. In internal messages, employees even bragged about how they “gouge” fans and joked they were “robbing them blind.”
It’s no surprise that, after a decade and a half of antitrust violations, the Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly made $25 billion last year.
Now, the company, which doesn’t own any venues in Vermont, appears poised to establish a foothold in the Green Mountain State with the help of a well-intentioned but poorly executed bill working its way through Montpelier.
Lawmakers are considering legislation that would cap the price of event tickets being resold at no more than 10% above face value. The measure was recently approved by the House and is currently moving through the Senate.
On its face, the idea sounds appealing: Cracking down on excessive markups should be a win for fans. But the fact that Live Nation-Ticketmaster, which was just found to be operating an illegal monopoly that harmed fans, venues and artists, has supported price caps like those proposed in H.512 in Washington, D.C., California, New York, Minnesota and Ontario should give Vermonters pause.
This billion-dollar corporation doesn’t support ticket resale price caps because it’s good for fans. The company advocates for this policy because the caps don’t apply to “primary” ticket sales: the original point of sale, of which Ticketmaster controls 80%. Instead, the price caps would only apply to resale marketplaces — hitting the only companies that compete with the Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly.
Less competition means more power and higher profits for Live Nation-Ticketmaster.
In most states, price caps would consolidate Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s control and allow it to raise ticket prices even further. In Vermont, H.512 may be the final ingredient it needs to enter the state, and, to quote its executives, “boil the frog” — using monopoly power to slowly squeeze out our independent music venues.
With this legislation moving through the Statehouse, Live Nation-Ticketmaster is already establishing a foothold in the Green Mountain State. Earlier this month, it announced a partnership with CashorTrade, a Vermont-based ticketing platform.
But Live Nation-Ticketmaster doesn’t even need to operate in our state to benefit if Vermont passes this law. If Vermont, which prides itself on pushing back against corporate power, enacts resale price caps, we hand Live Nation-Ticketmaster a powerful talking point to advance its power grab in additional states. We become a critical data point; an example of what “good policy” looks like.
H.512 includes some real, positive policies that help venues and consumers, but the price cap provision that came along for the ride squarely benefits Live Nation-Ticketmaster. Vermont can, and should, have the former without the latter.
Vermont needs to stand up to this corporate bully. If any state knows how to, it’s this one.
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