{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-authored-farm-bill-provision-nets-millions-for-northeast-kingdom", "Leahy-Authored Farm Bill Provision Nets Millions For Northeast Kingdom", "2017-12-14", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Patrick Leahy", "L000174", "www.leahy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.14.17\n\t\t\t Leahy-Authored Farm Bill Provision Nets Millions For Northeast Kingdom \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t . . . Leahy-Led REAP Zone Designation Continues To Address NEK Needs, Now Topping $200 Million Since 2001\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) announced Thursday that U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) economic development investments in the Northeast Kingdom now total more than $9.1 million during 2017.\r\nNEK-area businesses, nonprofits and municipalities received 36 awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Rural Development (USDA-RD) to assist with a diverse range of business assistance, infrastructure upgrades and energy efficiency improvement projects.\u00a0 More than $5.5 million of the awards during federal fiscal year 2017 were made possible through the Rural Area Economic Partnership (REAP) Zone, a special designation secured by Leahy in the last Farm Bill.\u00a0\r\nLeahy is a leading member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, which oversees USDA and handles the Senate\u2019s work in writing Farm Bills, and he also now is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which annually appropriates funds for the USDA.\u00a0\r\nLeahy said:\u00a0 \u201cThese USDA investments are empowering local organizations and businesses to make our Vermont communities stronger.\u00a0 The diverse nature of Rural Development\u2019s programs mean that federal help can be pre-tailored to address distinct needs for each community. \u00a0As Congress begins writing a new Farm Bill in 2018, I\u2019ll be focused on making sure that USDA-RD continues to have resources like these to invest in Vermont.\u201d\r\nUSDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure programs through a national network of state and local offices. \u00a0These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers to improve the quality of life in rural areas.\r\nSince 2001 Leahy has consistently and successfully fought to designate, and to renew, the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont -- Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties -- as a REAP Zone, a USDA RD designation recognizing the unique rural nature of a region that prioritizes the region\u2019s grant applications.\u00a0 Successfully designated in the 2014 Farm Bill, the Northeast Kingdom REAP Zone is one of only four regions nationwide designated as REAP Zones by USDA-RD, an arm of USDA focused on helping rural communities thrive.\u00a0 The designation gives applicants to some of USDA RD\u2019s 40 grant and loan programs access to a reserved set of funds only available to REAP Zones.\u00a0 Leahy worked with the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, a group of economic and community development organizations from across Caledonia, Essex and Orleans Counties, to create Vermont\u2019s REAP Zone.\r\nSince the creation of the NEK REAP Zone, USDA has invested more than $200 million in Caledonia, Essex and Orleans Counties.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nGrant\r\n\r\n\r\nOrganization\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$35,300\r\n\r\n\r\nTown of St. Johnsbury\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$14,087\r\n\r\n\r\nVermont Sun Ltd.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$99,999\r\n\r\n\r\nNorthern Community Investment Corp.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$60,000\r\n\r\n\r\nTown of St. Johnsbury\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$48,626\r\n\r\n\r\nCeneter for an Agricultural Economy\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$72,821\r\n\r\n\r\nPermanent Fund for VT Children\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$47,000\r\n\r\n\r\nVT State Colleges\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$12,110\r\n\r\n\r\nKaufman, Bruce\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$9,475\r\n\r\n\r\nSouth Royalton Food Cooperative\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$50,000\r\n\r\n\r\nCenter for an Agricultural Economy\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$12,400\r\n\r\n\r\nHeartbeet Lifesharing Corp.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$3,682\r\n\r\n\r\nGilman Housing Trust\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$14,800\r\n\r\n\r\nLyndon Institute\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$50,000\r\n\r\n\r\nSt. Johnsbury Athenaeum\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$5,320,000\r\n\r\n\r\nTown of St. Johnsbury\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$430,000\r\n\r\n\r\nTown of St. Johnsbury\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$71,000\r\n\r\n\r\nNE Kingdom Travel and Tourism Assoc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$26,738\r\n\r\n\r\nNorthern Forest Center, Inc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$99,999\r\n\r\n\r\nNorthern Community Investment Corp.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$75,000\r\n\r\n\r\nNorthern Community Investment Corp.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$25,000\r\n\r\n\r\nVT Council on the Arts\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$96,700\r\n\r\n\r\nVT Housing and Conservation Board\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$189,400\r\n\r\n\r\nCanaan Fire District #1\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$55,200\r\n\r\n\r\nTroy School District\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$31,900\r\n\r\n\r\nTown of Charleston\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$37,500\r\n\r\n\r\nBarton Village, Inc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$98,157\r\n\r\n\r\nVermont Farm-to-School\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$99,999\r\n\r\n\r\nForestville Foundation, Inc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$695,600\r\n\r\n\r\nTown of Newport\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$19,997\r\n\r\n\r\nKingdom Brewing\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$760,000\r\n\r\n\r\nHighland Lodge 2016, LLC\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$79,625\r\n\r\n\r\nCity of Newport\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$58,947\r\n\r\n\r\nThe Art House, Inc.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$6,327\r\n\r\n\r\nAsa H. Searles dba Ellie's Sugarhouse\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$52,626\r\n\r\n\r\nGilman Housing Trust\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nLoans\r\n\r\n\r\nOrganization\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n$233,000\r\n\r\n\r\nCanaan Fire District #1\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\tDavid Carle: 202-224-3693\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.leahy.senate.gov/press/leahy-authored-farm-bill-provision-nets-millions-for-northeast-kingdom"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7013939321041107, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}