The American Farmland Trust’s slogan “No Farms No Food” holds true everywhere, but especially in a place like Vermont. 

The amount of spacious land and the crisp climate allows Vermonters to enjoy an abundance of local, clean produce throughout the summer and autumn months. 

Hurricane Irene did serious damage to many of local farms, especially at the Intervale Center — a non profit organization that leases 135 acres of land along the Winooski River to groups of small farmers — Intervale Executive Director Travis Marcotte said in a press release.

This late summer flooding — featuring rapidly rising floodwaters streaming through barns, endless fields of crops, and knocking down plenty of trees — is considered a second wave of damage after this spring’s unsurpassed water levels ruined a rotation of first plantings, according to the press release.  

Some of the produce was recovered and reserved, but the majority of the late summer and fall crops were leveled, according to an Aug. 31 article by the Burlington Business Association (BBA).

Volunteers rushed to the Intervale and helped harvest and safely store more than 10,000 pounds of crops, according to BBA.

A fund has been established to help compensate farmer’s losses and the detrimental damage caused by Hurricane Irene, according to the press release. 

CityMarket will also be donating 1 percent of all sales to the Intervale Recovery Fund, until Friday, Sept. 16.