HARTFORD, Conn. — Spring season is upon us, and many residents may be considering starting or adding to their flock with the purchase of baby poultry including chicks and ducklings from farm stores throughout the state. The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) is reminding backyard and commercial flock owners of proper biosecurity measures to keep both people and birds healthy.

HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) is now accepting vendor applications for the agricultural booth spaces inside the Connecticut Building at the 2024 Big E. The Connecticut Building is one of six New England buildings on the Avenue of the States at The Big E in West Springfield, MA. The 17-day annual event will take place September 13-29, 2024, offering farms, small agricultural businesses, and agricultural non-profit organizations based in Connecticut the opportunity to market their products and promote their services.

(HARTFORD, CT) The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) has received the results of the U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) 2022 Census of Agriculture, with new information about Connecticut farms and those who operate them, including data about decision-making, down to the county level. The average farm size in Connecticut is 74 acres, a 7% increase from 2017, however the amount of land in farms has decreased by 2.5% to 372,000 acres. The number of farms in Connecticut has declined to 5,058, however net farm income has increased by 90%. The data also shows that the total value of agricultural products is $704 million, an increase of 21% with nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod totaling $362 million or 51% of the total sales.

HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) is encouraging consumers to sign up for a farm share during National CSA Week, which will run from February 19-25, 2024. This annual celebration of Community Supported Agriculture is a time to recognize the value of buying direct from local producers and enhance the connection between consumer and farmer.

(HARTFORD, CT) The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) is awarding 53 grants totaling more than $2.8 million through its Connecticut Grown for Connecticut Kids Grant (CTG4CTK Grant) to increase the availability of local foods in child nutrition programs, allow educators to use hands-on educational techniques to teach students about nutrition and farm-to-school connections, sustain relationships with local farmers and producers, enrich the educational experience of students, improve the health of children in the state and enhance the state's economy.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced it has a cooperative agreement with Connecticut under the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI). Through this agreement, USDA and Connecticut are working together to offer over $2.1 million in competitive grant funding for projects designed to build resilience across the middle of the supply chain. Connecticut is accepting applications for this Infrastructure Grant funding through April 10, 2024.

(Bloomfield, CT) – On Friday, February 2, 2024, Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz and Agriculture Commissioner Bryan P. Hurlburt held a press conference at Auerfarm in Bloomfield joined by Connecticut Resource Conservation and Development (CT RC&D) to announce the awardees from Round 1 of its Climate Smart Agriculture Grant program, and the opening of Round 2 of funding. In this first round of funding, CT RC&D administered $250,000 to eight farms around Connecticut. This funding will drive over $867,000 in climate smart projects.

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg), on behalf of the CT Food Policy Council, announces the competitive solicitation process to award funds to Connecticut organizations and groups involved in food system policy or creating innovative, localized, programming in their respective communities to increase food access and address food insecurity through the Food System Capacity Building Grant. Applicants must submit a completed application by March 6, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. using Cognito Forms.

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) is now accepting applications for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) for the 2024 program year. Applicants must submit a completed application by March 4, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. using Cognito Forms.

The Connecticut Agricultural Information Council (CAIC) is seeking nominations for the 2024 Connecticut Outstanding Young Farmer (OYF). Awarded annually during Ag Day at the Capitol, the Connecticut Outstanding Young Farmer Award recognizes the winner’s progress in their agricultural career, their soil and water conservation practices, and their contributions to the well-being of the community, the state, and the nation. Nomination applications must be submitted electronically via email to erin.pirro@farmcrediteast.com by Friday, February 23, 2024.