Amy Moore
Democratic Candidate for Vermont Senate in the Bennington District
What do you believe is the role of state government, if any, in ensuring that everyone living in Vermont has the food they need to thrive?
Supporting farmers for local and regional food needs both financially and with professional extension help. Facilitating pathways to distribution by need. Purchasing needed excess inventory and coordinating distribution to regional centers of distribution for free or at low cost.
What would be your policy priorities to move Vermont toward food security for all?
I will need some time in office to truly understand the tapestry of possible options, but I have always been a strong advocate of school meals for All. Poverty is not the only reason students do not get regular healthy meals needed to be good learners. Also, it appears with the direction of our culture, school may be the only place many children learn about healthy nutrition. I believe including ALL students in school meal programs moves the programs to learning and away from the stigmatism of poverty while encompassing all children whose dietary and food education needs are lacking.
What do you believe are the root causes of hunger, and what should the state do to address those underlying factors?
Here in rural areas of Vermont, transportation is likely the biggest reason people go hungry. Without a private vehicle, many people lack any ability to get to places where healthy food is available. Our public transportation is seriously lacking around here and access to food is challenging. I am still learning about what we can do to improve this, but I could see the state funding an extension of the school lunch program to include community members as well.
How would you help strengthen the state’s agriculture and food economy to ensure Vermont farms can continue to grow the food we all need?
The regulations and recent "conservation" laws are out of touch with what is possible for even some of Vermont's largest farms. Getting our laws to better reflect the common sense conservation of Vermont's farmers would benefit ALL Vermonters. I want to ensure that we stop getting urban and suburban NGOs to write our laws. They do not understand the ways Vermont works best, most especially rural land that is farmed or resided on by full time residents.