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CT RC&D enriches Connecticut’s communities by cultivating agricultural viability, conserving natural resources, and growing local economies.

10/28/2026

NEW LOOK. SAME MISSION

Have you seen our new website? We’ve got a fresh new look. Go check it out!

CT RC&D’s newly redesigned website makes it easier than ever to discover our work, explore programs and resources, and stay connected with what’s happening across Connecticut.

With improved navigation and a refreshed design, the new site brings our projects, stories, events and opportunities together in one easy-to-use place.

Explore our new site, see what’s new, and check back often as we continue sharing updates and resources.

🔗ctrcd.org

10/21/2026

Happy National Apple Day!

On National Apple Day, we recognize the hardworking farmers who grow the delicious apples we love, from crisp Honeycrisp to sweet Gala to tart Granny Smith and the classic McIntosh.

Connecticut farmers grow more than 60 varieties of apples across nearly 300 orchards. This year, we’re highlighting Hidden Gem Orchard in Southbury, CT. A participant in CT RC&D's FarmUP program, Hidden Gem Orchard is a premier boutique destination nestled in Western Connecticut's scenic countryside. Their orchard is home to a rare collection of antique, heirloom, and modern apple varieties you won’t find at your grocery store. Whether you’re looking for the perfect local apples to bake into a pie, flavorful varieties for hand-pressing fresh c***r, or an uncrowded weekend family adventure, Hidden Gem Orchard offers an unforgettable taste of Connecticut’s agricultural heritage.

As part of the FarmUP program, Hidden Gem Orchard received one-on-one consultations with CT RC&D staff to provide personalized business support. They also received a professional photo shoot as part of the program’s offerings. These photographs capture the orchard's beauty and the incredible fruit grown by James Wargo, owner of Hidden Gem Orchard.

The FarmUP program is funded by a USDA Rural Business Development Grant and, in part, by the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut.

📷: &BeastFoodPhotographer

Celebrate National Apple Day by supporting local farms and discovering the incredible variety of apples growing right in our state!

10/20/2026

📢From Our Partners!

We are happy to help spread the word about an upcoming event hosted by UConn Extension.

FARM EQUIPMENT FIELD DAY

📆Friday, November 6, 2026
🕛10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
📍Oxen Hill Farm | 57 Griffin Road, East Granby, CT 06026

Join the farmers at Oxen Hill Farm and Griffin Equipment for a hands-on equipment demo day focused on tools of the trade for vegetable and/or cut flower production. This is a chance to observe and try both hand-driven and tractor-driven equipment for planting, harvesting, and more.

The morning will focus on hand-driven equipment; the afternoon will focus on tractor-powered implements. Lunch is included.

If you require an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Megan Mordasky, Solid Ground Event Coordinator, at [email protected] or 860-420-7412 at least 5 days in advance.

🔗Register at https://secure.touchnet.com/C21646_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=4440

10/16/2026

Your Grocery Shopping Can Make A Difference!

There’s still time to support CT RC&D through the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program. Through October, every time a $2.50 reusable Community Bag is purchased at the Stop & Shop at 2335 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden, CT, $1 will be donated to CT RC&D.

Your support helps advance local agriculture and natural resource conservation projects that make Connecticut more resilient and sustainable.

Thank you for making a difference, one reusable bag at a time!

10/13/2026

Your Voice Matters: Help Shape Agricultural Health & Safety in Connecticut!

📆Thursday, November 12, 2026
🕛12-1:30 PM

CT RC&D in partnership with the CT Department of Agriculture, is hosting a stakeholder meeting to get input on ways farms can improve health and safety into their operations for the improvement of rural health in the state.

Join us in person or virtually to learn more about the project and give your feedback on ways you could benefit from assistance.

- All farm & aquaculture workers, farm & aquaculture owners, agricultural service providers, and partner organizations are welcome to join.

- Lunch will be provided.

- In-person location: UConn Middlesex County Extension Center, 1066 Saybrook Road, Haddam, CT 06438

- Virtual option: Teams Meeting

🔗Register at BIT.LY/AGHEALTHSAFETY

10/12/2026

Today is National Farmers Day, a day when we celebrate the hard work and dedication that farmers give every day to feed our communities and steward the land.

This year, as we recognize the International Year of the Woman Farmer, we celebrate amazing women who are growing, leading, and strengthening agriculture.

Let us introduce you to a few of Connecticut’s female farmers we’ve had the pleasure of working with.

✨Margaret (Peggy) Ahlberg, Ahlberg Grassroots Farm, Glastonbury, CT.

✨Allyson Angelini, Full Heart Farm, Ledyard, CT, and 2025 CT Outstanding Young Farmer of the Year awardee.

✨Dr. Philomena Asante (Dr. Mena), Mena’s Gardens, North Guilford, CT.

✨Mia Lathrop, Lathrop Farm, Lebanon, CT.

✨Kirsten Marra, Muddy Roots Farm, Wallingford, CT.

✨Jessica Rosa, Rosa Farm, Higganum, CT.

✨Joanne Charon, Autumn Harvest Orchard, LLC, Norfolk, CT.

Join us in celebrating these women and all the farmers who are making a difference in Connecticut agriculture!

10/08/2026

DON'T MISS OUT!

You still have time to register for CIPWG’s 2026 Invasive Plant Symposium. This year's theme is "From Awareness to Action — Strengthening Our Response to Invasive Plants."

🎙The symposium will be recorded and made available after the event. Attendees can choose to attend in person or purchase the recording.

🌳Sessions include education on a variety of techniques for management of terrestrial and aquatic invasives, as well as restoration with native alternatives.

In-person registration closes on October 13!

Register today at cipwg.uconn.edu/2026-symposium.

10/07/2026

Join us for Ask the Experts, three informal virtual sessions in November, 6-7 p.m.

🌱 Nov. 10 | Soil Health on the Small Scale No-Till Organic Farm
Ask Yoko Takemura and Alex Carpenter of Assawaga Farm about: mulching, permanent beds, cover crops, compost production, and more.

🚜 Nov. 16 | Soil Health on the Tractor Scale Vegetable Farm
Ask Will Dellacamera of Cecarellis Harrison Hill Farm about: cutting tillage and tractor passes, equipment hacks for tillage reduction, and dealing with compaction on heavy clay soils.

🐄 Nov. 19 | Soil Health on Livestock Farms
Ask Jennie Kapszukiewicz and Max Breiteneicher, New England Livestock and Grazing Specialists about: managing pasture, manure, and winter feeding areas for soil health.

These are open-format conversations without presentations, and they aren't recorded, so ask freely. Come to one session or all three, and stay for the whole hour or pop in with one question. While the sessions focus on Connecticut farming conditions, farmers from any state are welcome.

Register here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=9DZ9usq8W0ODzin3qwZEyFKCEU6jaSFEkH76n7jd88BUNEVQOE9NQUhQOENXUDJNU0w4SzkzN1RMSi4u&route=shorturl . A Zoom link will be sent after you register.

Presented by American Farmland Trust - New England and Connecticut Resource Conservation & Development - CT RC&D, with support from Connecticut USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service NRCS.

10/02/2026

We are excited to announce that Stop & Shop has selected CT RC&D to benefit from the Community Bag Program throughout the month of October.

🛍️When you purchase a reusable $2.50 Community Bag at Stop & Shop, 2335 Dixwell Avenue in Hamden, CT, $1 goes directly to CT RC&D.

🌱Your purchase supports local agriculture and natural resource conservation efforts across Connecticut.

✨Your generosity can help CT RC&D and the communities we serve thrive!

♻️Together, we can reduce waste and strengthen our communities, one reusable bag at a time!

09/28/2026

Like working the land, but not working the business as much? The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) can help both male and female-owned operations! Join our webinar on November 19, 2026 from 12-1 PM to see what resources WBDC offers to CT’s Ag community (most provided at no cost!) Register at BIT.LY/WBDCFARMING.

New CT Farmer Alliance Women’s Business Development Council CT Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut U.S. Department of Agriculture

Address

PO Box 70
Haddam, CT
06438

Telephone

(860) 345-3977

Website

http://ctrcd.org/

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