Press Releases

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• 7/3/2024 Request for Proposals Released for CT FarmLink Program Technical Assistance

  The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) is in search of qualified entities to support the agency with administering the Connecticut FarmLink program (FarmLink).

• 7/3/2024 CT DoAg Issues Milk Handling Recommendations for Exhibitors and Event Organizers

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) has issued milk handling recommendations for exhibitors and event organizers to minimize the transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H5N1).

• 6/27/2024 CT DoAg Announces Opening of Feral Cat Program

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg)’s Animal Population Control Program (APCP) will begin accepting applications for the Feral Cat Program on July 1, 2024. The Feral Cat Program assists Connecticut non-profit rescue groups with grants to spay and neuter feral cats at participating veterinarian providers.

• 6/24/2024 Reminder: Agriculture Licenses Expire June 30

  The Connecticut Department of Agriculture's Licensing Unit reminds holders of the following licenses that they are up for renewal and expire on June 30, 2024.

• 6/21/2024 New Report Released on Farmland Access and Ownership in Connecticut

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg), in partnership with Connecticut Land Conservation Council (CLCC), announces the release of “Farmland Access & Ownership: An Overview of Barriers, Models, and Actions to Increase Land Access for Connecticut’s BIPOC Farmers”. CT DoAg engaged with CLCC to conduct the study and publish the report which looks at challenges and barriers to farmland access and ownership, as well as examining different cooperative models, focused on land trusts and publicly owned lands in urban and suburban areas.

• 6/14/2024 Tips to Keep Animals Safe this Summer

  (HARTFORD, CT) – As temperatures rise and hot, humid days are upon us, Connecticut Department of Agriculture is reminding pet and livestock owners to take action to keep their animals safe this summer. This is also the time of year for extreme weather such as thunderstorms and hurricanes, and celebrations which may include fireworks. These types of events may frighten some animals. Owners should prepare now by updating identification tags and microchip information, checking the safety and security of enclosures, and contacting veterinarians if medication is needed to ease anxiety.

• 6/7/2024 Interim Connecticut State Veterinarian Named

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt today announced that Dr. Erin Masur, DVM, has joined the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) as interim State Veterinarian within the Bureau of Regulatory Services. Dr. Masur succeeds Dr. Jane Lewis, DVM, DACVPM who was appointed in 2021 and has departed for a position with United States Department of Agriculture.

• 5/30/2024 CT DoAg Announces Increased Funds and Early Start of Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program on June 1

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt today announced that the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) will begin Saturday, June 1, a month earlier than usual, and will run through November 30, 2024. Eligible participants can visit certified farmers’ markets and farm stands to redeem benefits for local CT Grown farm products including fresh, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, and eggs (state funds only). Seniors may also purchase honey with their funds.

• 5/3/2024 2024 Passport to CT Wine Country Starts May 4

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The 2024 Passport to Connecticut Wine Country, a program of the Connecticut Farm Wine Development Council (CFWDC) administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, will begin on Saturday, May 4, 2024. The Passport program offers visitors an opportunity to engage with the state’s award-winning farm wineries, collect stamps to be entered into prize drawings, create lasting memories, and explore all Connecticut offers.

• 4/19/2024 LT. GOVERNOR, STATE OFFICIALS HIGHLIGHT DCF & DOAG PARTNERSHIP TO ADDRESS ‘THE LINK’ BETWEEN CHILD ABUSE & ANIMAL CRUELTY

  (BRANFORD, CT) - Today, Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, with state officials and animal welfare advocates, discussed the strong correlation between animal cruelty, child maltreatment and other forms of interpersonal violence – referred to as “The Link.”

• 4/15/2024 CT DoAg Announces $1.475 Million in State Grants to Increase Long-Term Climate Resiliency in Production Agriculture

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt today announced that the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) is awarding $1.475 million in state funding to farmers and non-profits involved in production agriculture to invest in long-term climate resiliency projects which will decrease vulnerability to extreme weather events through regenerative agricultural practices.

• 4/9/2024 Refreshed CT FarmLink Website and Logo Released

  (HARTFORD, CT) – Farmland owners and farmland seekers across Connecticut now have greater access to resources through a redesigned website and refreshed logo for CT FarmLink. CT FarmLink is a collaborative effort between Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg), Connecticut Farmland Trust (CFT), and other partners which acts as a clearinghouse for the transition between generations of landowners with the goal of keeping farmland accessible and in production.

• 4/5/2024 CT DoAg Invests $114,995 to Address Food Insecurity and Food Access

  HARTFORD, CT – Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt announces that the CT Food Policy Council, administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg), has awarded funds to six projects through the Food System Capacity Building Grant totaling $114,995. The awarded projects will focus on utilizing CT Grown farm products in the creation of innovative, localized programming to increase food access and address food insecurity in communities.

• 4/1/2024 Connecticut health and agriculture officials say the risk of avian flu in Connecticut is low

  HARTFORD, Conn—Despite the first human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus which was reported in Texas over the weekend in a person exposed to an infected dairy cow, officials from the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (DoAg) say there are no cases reported in any cattle or other livestock in Connecticut.

• 3/25/2024 CT DoAg Funds 21 Agricultural Enhancement Grant Projects

  The Connecticut Department of Agriculture is pleased to announce the 2024 Agricultural Enhancement Grant Program (previously known as the Farm Viability Grant) has awarded more than $531,000 to fund 21 projects received from Connecticut municipalities, groups of municipalities, regional councils of governments, and/or agricultural non-profit organizations for projects that directly impact or foster agricultural viability.