Eat CT

Common autumn outings in Connecticut include going apple picking and
wandering through a pumpkin patch for the perfect Halloween decorations.
Breathing in the sweet ripe-fruit aroma that wafts from apple-heavy trees is one
autumn joy that should be on everyone’s bucket list and …  how can you not smile
while watching a child’s delight when they find their pumpkin.

It’s easy to locate the Connecticut farms nearest your home or those
specializing in the type of product or produce you seek. Just go to  http://www.buyctgrown.com/ and type your zip code and how far you want to travel, or the type in the product or specific farm you’re looking for. You can even search the in season link for specific vegetables, fruits, dairy and egg products, herbs, meat, seafood or fish, specialty foods and other state-grown products like nursery plants, fiber products, livestock, handicrafts, liquor and energy. It’s a pretty impressive list for such a small state.

Looking for those cute little white pumpkins? Click on Baby Poo Pumpkins and
up pops a map of CT filled with markers linking to the farms selling Baby Poos.

Want a specific type of apple for pies, sauce or just plain eating? You can
search these too, then follow each farms link to learn more.

But if you want a behind-the-scene look at the people who produce the
produce, check out the book Connecticut Farmer & Feast: Harvesting Local Bounty.
Author and chef Emily Brooks visited more than 40 of Connecticut’s farms and
talked to the farmers running them. In the book, she shares her experiences and
the recipes she developed using products from each farm.

Readers can peruse the book’s Middlesex County chapter to learn about beef and
dairy products at Deerfield Farm, the ongoing events and produce (including
pick-your-own) of Lyman Orchards, the history behind the greenhouses, fruits and vegetables and Christmas trees available at Staehly Farms, and how Starlight Gardens came to be the late-life career and love of its owners.

Individual chapters highlight farms in each of Connecticut’s other counties –
Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, New Haven, New London, Tolland, and
Windham.

Each story is unique, intriguing and brings to light the diverse backgrounds
of just a few of Connecticut’s farmers … a group that certainly deserves our
respect and support.

So before frost bites Connecticut’s apples and diminishes outdoor production
of locally-grown produce, take some time to get to know a local farmer and eat a
bit of CT.

Visit my blog at http://www.joenesgarden.com