Stafford, Coventry Farms Getting State Grants

STAFFORD, CT — State Sen. Jeff Gordon (R-Woodstock), a member of the legislative Appropriations Committee, is hailing grant awards from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture for Still River Farm in Coventry and Freedom Farm in Stafford aimed toward investment in "long-term climate resiliency projects that will decrease vulnerability to extreme weather events through regenerative agricultural practices.:

The grant awards are:

• Still River Farm: $50,000 (Soil Health and Organic Matter Biodiversity, Water Management)
• Freedom Farm LLC: $100,000 (Soil Health and Organic Matter Biodiversity, Forest Management, Enhanced Grazing Land Management)

Gordon said of the grants, "Thank you to Commissioner (Brian) Hurlburt and CT DoAg for their investment in our farmers. This funding will help them to further develop sustainable farming practices to ensure food production through changing weather situations. These are the people who feed families in our region and across Connecticut, and our wellbeing depends on their success."

The agriculture department is funding 20 projects in all, totaling $1.475 million. The projects are part of the Farmland Restoration, Climate Resiliency and Preparedness Grant, which has a focus on restoring and improving land with prime and important farmland soils. Funds can be used for capital investments, including equipment, to implement farming practices that will have a multi-year or cumulative effect on the climate resiliency of the land or farming operation.

Awardees will be provided technical assistance by a soil scientist or other adviser assigned by and paid for by the state in the development of their Farmland Restoration and Climate Resiliency Plan.