(HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) today announced the latest round of Agricultural Enhancement Grant awards. A total of $503,531 will be distributed to 21 recipients across the state to directly impact or foster industry viability. This year’s application period drew strong interest with 37 submissions requesting more than one million dollars in support.
“This year’s Agricultural Enhancement Grant awards support a wide range of initiatives designed to strengthen and sustain a thriving Connecticut agricultural community for the future. Funding was awarded for projects focused on expanding processing capacity, workforce development and youth education, livestock safety, and the increased purchasing and promotion of CT Grown products,” said Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt. “This was a highly competitive grant cycle, and it is inspiring to see so many organizations investing in the long-term vitality of agriculture in our state.”
Awards were given in two funding tiers. Eight projects in Tier 1 will receive up to $5,000 each, for a combined total of $32,710. Thirteen projects in Tier 2 will receive up to $49,999 each, for a combined total of $470,821. Since 2019, the Lamont administration has awarded more than $3.5 million through this program.
The Agricultural Enhancement Grant Program helps strengthen agriculture in Connecticut by offering matching funds to municipalities, groups of municipalities, regional councils of governments, and agricultural nonprofit organizations. The program supports projects designed to improve or expand agricultural activity and promote long‑term viability.
This year’s funded projects represent a total combined project cost exceeding $1.5 million, demonstrating a significant investment in local agriculture. Among the 21 awardees are 15 agricultural nonprofits, four municipalities, and two food hubs.
The fiscal year 2026 Agricultural Enhancement Grant awardees are:
|
Applicant |
Project Location |
Project Title |
Award Funding |
|
The Last Green Valley, Inc. |
Danielson |
The Last Green Valley Farm Video Series |
$3,000.00 |
|
Flanders Nature Center Inc. Van Vleck Farm |
Woodbury |
Strengthening and Enhancing Flanders' SAE Program to better serve CT's Agricultural Community |
$47,125.00 |
|
Town of Tolland on behalf of Tolland Green Farmers' Market Inc. |
Tolland |
Tolland Green Farmers' Market Tolland Fresh Voucher Program Expansion |
$3,800.00 |
|
CitySeed, Inc. |
New Haven |
Marketing and Promotion of Local Sourcing to New Haven Institutions |
$49,999.00 |
|
Fairgate Farm, Inc. |
Stamford |
Field to Community: Launching Fairgate Farm’s First Value-Added Food Program |
$5,000.00 |
|
Agricultural Commission Town of Durham CT |
Durham |
Durham Farm Map |
$2,200.00 |
|
Town of Lebanon Connecticut |
Lebanon |
Lebanon Farmers Market Alden Tavern Park Site Improvements |
$30,500.00 |
|
Hartford County 4-H Fair Association, Inc. (Farmington) |
Somers |
Hartford County 4-H Fair Biosecurity Champions: Strengthening Animal and Human Health Fair Practices through Youth Education |
$23,520.00 |
|
Massaro Community Farm, Inc |
Woodbridge |
Hands in the Soil: Immersive Agricultural Education for Youth |
$49,999.00 |
|
Lebanon Lions Club, Inc. |
Lebanon |
Livestock Pen Enlargement |
$3,710.00 |
|
Partners Sustainable Healthy Communities on behalf of NWCT Food Hub (Litchfield) |
Torrington |
NWCT Food Hub Facility Improvements for Food Safety Compliance and Distribution Efficiency |
$27,000.00 |
|
Arethusa Farm Foundation, Inc. |
Litchfield |
Arethusa Farm Camp Equipment and Infrastructure to promote Youth Ag Education |
$25,000.00 |
|
Windham Area Interfaith Ministry, Inc. |
Willimantic |
Enhancing Urban Ag Production through Collective Management of Invasive Plant Species |
$5,000.00 |
|
New Haven Ecology Project |
New Haven |
Building Capacity at Common Ground Urban Farm - Small-Scale Farming, Wide-Spread Impact |
$30,650.00 |
|
Connecticut Farm Bureau Association, Inc. (Wethersfield) |
Enfield |
Dairy Processing Feasibility Study |
$33,000.00 |
|
nOURish Bridgeport, Inc. on behalf of Bridgeport Farmers' Market Collaborative |
Bridgeport |
Ensuring low-income Bridgeport residents’ access to affordable, nutritious fresh food |
$12,000.00 |
|
Levo International, Inc. (Bloomfield) |
Hartford |
Improving Hartford Farm for Delivery of Youth Workforce Development Programming |
$49,999.00 |
|
Connecticut Resource Conservation & Development Area, Inc. (CT RC&D) |
Haddam |
Connecticut Agricultural Composting Program |
$49,999.00 |
|
Town of New Milford |
New Milford |
The Community Agricultural Kitchen |
$42,030.00 |
|
Aspetuck Land Trust, Inc. |
Easton |
Orchard and Pollinator Meadow Expansion |
$5,000.00 |
|
The Community Action Agency of Western Connecticut, Inc. on behalf of Danbury Farmers Market Community Collaborative |
Danbury |
DFMCC Marketing Push |
$5,000.00 |
Agricultural Enhancement Grant is authorized by and funded through the State of Connecticut Public Act 05-228, An Act Concerning Farmland Preservation, Affordable Housing, and Historic Preservation. Additional information about the program can be found on the Agricultural Enhancement Grant webpage.
The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) mission is to foster a healthy economic, environmental, and social climate for agriculture by developing, promoting, and regulating agricultural businesses; protecting agricultural and aquacultural resources; enforcing laws pertaining to domestic animals; and promoting an understanding among the state's citizens of the diversity of Connecticut agriculture, its cultural heritage, and its contribution to the state's economy. For more information, visit www.CTGrown.gov.
