$823,636 in 2008 Agriculture Viability Grant Awards

State helps to support expansion of agricultural economy

2007 Grants Back to Story

2008 Producer and Non-Profit Organization Grants

Acer Gardens, Deep River                                                                            $18,267

Production greenhouse                                                                                         

Amalgamated  Produce, Inc., Bridgeport                                                     $41,500

Hydroponic expansion of packing room and a new racking system                           

Bridges Healthy Cooking School, Inc, Washington (Non-profit)                    $47,800

Pilot project for Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program                                        

Broken Arrow Nursery, Hamden                                                                   $49,990

Sales and production barn and website enhancement                                              

Fort Hill Farm, New Milford                                                                          $23,469

Vegetable production enhancements for Community Supported Agriculture               

Fort Hill Farms, LLC, Thompson                                                                   $49,990

Retail farm market development                                                                            

Gotta’s Farm, Portland                                                                                  $35,500

Farm market expansion project                                                                             

Griffin Farmstead, East Granby                                                                     $21,500

Goat dairy                                                                                                           

Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Ctr., Falls Village (Non-profit)                $49,990

Commercial kitchen                                                                                             

J. Defrancesco & Son, Inc., Northford                                                           $22,700

A 3-phase generator to support an existing greenhouse and produce cooler              

Molodich Farms, Inc., Sterling                                                                      $13,950

Equipment purchase for diversification and efficiency increase                                

Normandry Guernseys and Holsteins, Griswold                                             $6,000

Dairy vacuum pump for energy efficiency                                                               

Shadow Valley Farm, Somers                                                                      $49,990

Milk processing facility                                                                                         

Stonewall Apiary, Hanover                                                                            $8,550

Apiary and product line expansion                                                                         

Sweet Wind Farm, East Hartland                                                                   $9,579

Reverse osmosis machine to increase maple syrup production                                

The Farmers Cow-Dairy Coop                                                                       $49,990

A marketing, ordering, billing, and distribution system for branded products              

2008 Municipality Grants

Ashford                                                                                                          $20,000

GIS mapping of farmland and open space                                                              

Branford Shellfish Commission                                                                     $26,239

Enhancement of recreational shellfishing and commercial harvesting  communications        

Coventry                                                                                                         $5,509

Farmers’ Market promotions                                                                                 

Guilford                                                                                                         $10,000

Identification and prioritizing of key farms and farmland and recommendations to agriculture committee       

Hamden                                                                                                         $17,310

Farmers’ Market improvements                                                                             

Lebanon                                                                                                        $38,100

Land Use Leadership Alliance meetings                                                                 

Lebanon                                                                                                        $25,000

Farmland preservation resident attitude survey, an appraisal of farm preservation property, expansion of Farmers Market     

Litchfield                                                                                                       $21,360

Educational methods by Litchfield Hills School System of nutrition, locally grown foods      

New Milford                                                                                                   $29,475

Promotion and education on benefits of eating locally grown foods to children, youth, and their families       

New Haven                                                                                                      $7,907

Farmers Market promotions                                                                                  

Somers                                                                                                          $24,100

Planning for Agriculture in CT Outreach Program                                                    

Stonington                                                                                                     $16,160

GIS training for aquaculture                                                                                  

Stratford                                                                                                        $12,500

Feasibility study for commercial docks for shellfish and commercial fishing              

Suffield                                                                                                          $18,750

Help the Farms Initiative, promote Farmers Market, GIS layers in town and farmland preservation   

Thompson                                                                                                       $9,500

Digitizing GIS layers, open space analysis and agricultural brochure                        

Waterbury                                                                                                     $42,961

Farmers Market on the Green promotions and enhancements                                  

CT FARMING NEWS

Saving the State's Barns

STATEWIDE - Preservationists try to preserve a disappearing part of the state's agricultural heritage.

Fun Down on the Farm

STURBRIDGE - Agri-tourism is the buzzword for a growing number of state farmers, according to speakers at the recent Harvest New England marketing conference.

CT Locavores, Rejoice!

STURBRIDGE - At the recent Harvest New England marketing conference, CT Agriculture Commissioner F. Philip Prelli described how the state is supporting local growers and processors.

Farm Map Goes Digital

STATEWIDE - The Connecticut Dept. of Agriculture has introduced an interactive website guide to more than 200 destination farms in the state.

State Funds for CT Farms

HARTFORD - In the last two years, the state has granted more than $1.5 million to farmers, non-profit organizations and municipalities to help support economic viability.

Slaughterhouse for CT?

LITCHFIELD - State farmers start a process to bring a mobile slaughterhouse to Connecticut.

Matchmaking for Farmers

STATEWIDE - Farmers and would-be farmers looking for working  land have a new resource compliments of  the state Dept. of Agriculture. Connecticut FarmLink lists both property owners with farmland for sale or rent and people who are searching for land to farm.

Farm Preservation Gains Popularity with Towns

ESSEX - Land trusts and municipalities are turning to acquiring development rights as a way to save what is left of the ever-dwindling number of farms in Connecticut.

Disappearing Dairies

SHELTON - The state's remaining dairy farms are struggling to survive despite daunting odds. Farmer Terry Jones knows why it's important to help state dairies persevere.