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New Municipal Guide to Planning for Agriculture in Connecticut
Farms and farmland remain cornerstones of many Connecticut communities. To help towns proactively plan for the future of agriculture, American Farmland Trust and the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities have completed a joint publication: Planning for Agriculture: A Guide for Connecticut Municipalities [PDF] . The guide covers a broad range of tools available to help local governments address the economic and land use needs of farmers and help create a supportive atmosphere for agriculture.
The guide covers topics including: the benefits of farms; involving farmers in town decision-making; planning and zoning tools; right-to-farm ordinances; subdivision regulations; financing local farmland protection; addressing common issues; and promoting local farm viability.
Advisors in this effort include the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, Connecticut Farm Bureau Association, Connecticut Farmland Trust, CT Chapter of American Planning Association, University of Connecticut, and USDA. Funding for the guide was generously provided by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the CT Department of Agriculture. To request a free copy of the guide, contact Jiff Martin, New England Field Representative, jmartin@farmland.org.
Dinners at the Farm Celebrate Local Food and Benefit AFT
 For three nights in August, the acclaimed Dinners at the Farm were held at White Gate Farm in East Lyme, Connecticut. Working Lands Alliance—a project of AFT—was one of only four organizations selected as a beneficiary of Dinners at the Farm, which has been featured in Time magazine and The New York Times. Chefs Jonathan Rapp and Drew McLachlan delighted more than 140 guests each night with a feast of Connecticut grown products; the hugely popular dinners generate awareness of the vitality of the local farming community and the delicious food it provides.
BuyCTGrown.com Web site Launched
 The recent launch of BuyCTGrown.com, a Web-based source for Connecticut-grown food and farm products, was met with enthusiasm from the state’s newspaper, the Hartford Courant. The Courant opined,
“whether you're looking for cheese, cilantro or Christmas trees, lobster or luscious summer fruit, this site's for you. You can plug in the name of the product you're searching for and get a map of the locations where it's sold within a certain radius of your home.”
The Courant also noted: 
“The increasing popularity and obvious benefits of locally grown food may encourage policy-makers to save more farmland. You can't be a locavore without it.”
Farmland Wins In Connecticut Legislative Session
 The 2008 legislative session of the Connecticut General Assembly wrapped up with several important gains for farmland protection. Public Act 08-174 doubles the price per-acre that may be paid to landowners participating in the state Farmland Preservation Program, an acknowledgement that the program’s current per-acre cap of $10,000 is not keeping pace with rising farm real estate values. American Farmland Trust and members of the conservation community are pleased with progress made by the Face of Connecticut campaign and look forward to further increases in the state's financial commitment to our natural landscapes, historic buildings and urban redevelopment.
Consideration for state conservation tax credits
Legislators in Connecticut are considering the use of conservation tax credits to encourage land protection. House Bill 5137 would make landowners eligible for a tax credit worth 50 percent of the value of a donated conservation easement on farm or forest land. Already adopted in 11 states, the concept of state conservation tax credits is gaining ground as an additional tool in the land protection portfolio.
"State Conservation Tax Credits: Impact and Analysis" by Conservation Resource Center, available at the Farmland Information Center.
Governor Rell Signs Farmland BilL
In a ceremony at the Blue Hills Orchard in Wallingford, Governor M. Jodi Rell signed a bill that would provide $5 million every six months over the next two years for the state's Farmland Preservation Program, provided the State Bonding Commission approves the funding. Public Act 07-162 also creates a 12-member Farmland Preservation Advisory Board to help the state bolster its efforts to preserve farmland. Membership on the board will include up to seven farmers or farm organization representatives. In the ceremony, Governor Rell noted that the goal of the state’s Farmland Preservation Program is to preserve 130,000 acres, but Connecticut is still about 100,000 acres short of that goal. She also cited Maryland, Delaware and Massachusetts as neighboring states where higher investments along with advisory boards have led to more farmland preserved.
Connecticut Grown Communities and Affordable Housing
Rapid housing development and an increasingly fragmented agricultural industry have left many communities uncertain about how to ensure the long-term viability of farming. New neighbor complaints about the sights, sounds and smells of agriculture are on the rise, and farm businesses are increasingly challenged by restrictive zoning, changing definitions of agriculture and misunderstandings about agricultural operations. Read more
Read more about issues and projects in Connecticut:
working lands alliance
AFT is delighted to announce the recent addition of Working Lands Alliance (WLA) and to its advocacy work in Connecticut. Established in 2000, WLA is a statewide coalition of farmers, conservationists, anti-hunger groups and municipal leaders working together to increase the state’s commitment to farmland preservation. WLA spearheaded a successful legislative campaign to create a dedicated funding source for Connecticut’s Farmland Preservation Program and other new agriculture viability programs.
A new farm bill, what’s in it for Connecticut?
After years of work, we have a new 2008 Farm Bill. What does it mean for you and your community? From the foods we eat, to protecting farms from development, to helping keep our drinking water clean—the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 has many programs that affect all of us everyday.
Contact Us
New England Field Offices
Cris Coffin,
New England Director
ccoffin@farmland.org
1 Short Street, Suite 2
Northampton, MA 01060-3952
(p) 413-586-9330 ext. 29 (f)
413-586-9332
Jiff Martin, New England Field Representative
jmartin@farmland.org
775 Bloomfield Avenue
Windsor, CT 06095
(p)
860-683-4230 (f)
860-683-4275
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