Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Times:
Rally – 9:00 to 10:00 AM
Press Conference – 10:30 AM – Hearing Room 2A

Where: State Capitol Steps
210 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106
Look for the No Farms, No Food Banner!

Who: Rally with These Great Organizations!
American Farmland Trust
Canaan Valley Agriculture Coop
CitySeed
Connecticut Farm Bureau
Connecticut Farmland Trust
Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut
Very Alive
Working Lands Alliance

Additional Background:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2009

Hartford, Connecticut- The public is invited to join American Farmland Trust (AFT), farmers, growers, chefs and consumers for a rally at the State Capitol on March 18 to ‘Speak Up For Agriculture,’ followed by an open press conference on the importance of state funding through the Community Investment Account (CIA). Governor Rell and the state legislature have proposed cuts to the CIA, a small but important source of funding for agricultural and other programs throughout the state.

Among the issues being highlighted at the rally and press conference are: proposed cuts to farmland protection funding; a repeal of tax exemptions on seeds and farm equipment; the elimination farm business grants; and the current economic plight of local dairy farmers.

Established in 2005, the CIA, is a nationally recognized program that dedicates most of a
$30 deed recording fee toward state programs for land protection, farm viability, historic preservation and affordable housing. Four dollars of each fee remain with the town and the remainder is used for these four priorities. “Public willingness to accept this fee was based on the promise that the money would be permanently used for these purposes,” says Jiff Martin, New England Field Representative for AFT.

“Although the account has shrunk to a projected $14 million in today’s real estate market, it provides the only source of funding for planning grants to restore mills and historic properties, technical assistance to towns to develop affordable housing, pre-development loans for nonprofit developers of affordable housing, agriculture business promotion, municipal planning grants for land preservation, and rehabilitation of urban greens and community gardens,” adds Martin. “And, in many cases, the funds leverage federal and private funds toward the same priorities.”

In the state Department of Agriculture, the Community Investment Account pays for a mix of farmland preservation and farm business programs. Lebanon, Guilford, Milford and Thompson have tapped grants to help plan for farmland preservation. Litchfield, Branford, Waterbury, Stonington and Coventry have used the grants to help promote farmers markets and grow their local agriculture industry.

The Community Investment Account has also paid for the purchase of development rights on eight farms (1,022 acres). “Farmers and farmland preservation supporters agree the availability of CIA funds has given new credibility to our state's farmland preservation program by adding much-needed staff and expediting the agency's ability to obtain certified appraisals and land surveys,” says Martin.

AFT and its Working Lands Alliance coalition is co-sponsoring the rally along with CitySeed, Connecticut Farm Bureau, Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut, Very Alive, Canaan Valley Agriculture Coop, and Connecticut Farmland Trust. Those joining the rally should look for the group at 9 a.m. under the ‘No Farms, No Food’© banner on the Capitol steps, located at 210 Capitol Avenue in Hartford, CT 06106. The open press conference will immediately follow at 10:30 a.m. in Hearing Room 2A.

Citizens are also invited to join small grassroots teams from their county that will conduct meetings with legislators during pre-scheduled appointments between 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., but should RSVP American Farmland Trust to participate at jmartin@farmland.org or by calling 860-683-4230.  

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