Summertime Showcases Connecticut Grown Products

Over the past two decades the state of Connecticut has made a great effort to promote all the good things our state has to offer. Substantial investments in open space preservation, our state parks, rivers and streams, along with a commitment to promote popular tourist attractions has helped to make Connecticut more of a destination spot than ever before. And the effort hasn’t been limited to attracting out of state tourists.

Two years ago, Governor M. Jodi Rell’s “Staycation” campaign reminded state residents that Connecticut has some of the best “natural, cultural and recreational attractions in the world.” This effort reminds me of another campaign that started over 20 years ago to get people to buy locally grown products. According to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (DoAG), the CT Grown Program has “blossomed into a multifaceted campaign that promotes these products through a diverse array of avenues in local, regional, national and international markets.”visit buyctgrown.com to support our local farms

Maybe you are familiar with the green and blue signs that can be seen on many of our local roads and highways that promote and identify places that grow and sell these agricultural products. They are much more noticeable during the summer months when many of us are seeking fresh produce and garden plants that are available at local farms and farmers markets.

A great resource to help locate where you can find Connecticut grown products is at www.buyctgrown.com. According to their website the mission of Buy CT Grown is to bring Connecticut’s approximate 4,000 farms and their various offerings closer to Connecticut residents and in doing so, “support local agricultural enterprises and contribute to the health and viability of Connecticut’s rural economy.” All you have to do is go the webpage and simply plug in your zip code and host of local farms will appear. It is a great tool especially if you are looking for something specific.

Connecticut is also home to 30 farm wineries located in all five counties of the state. The DoAG has a complete listing of the state’s vineyards on their website at http://www.ct.gov/doag/ and type in “wineries.” Twenty three of these wineries make up the Connecticut Wine Trail. The wineries and vineyards of the Connecticut Wine Trail are all members of the Connecticut Vineyard and Winery Association (CVWA). The CVWA is an organization “dedicated to the development and promotion of Connecticut as a wine producing region.”

Visiting a Connecticut winery is a great way to spend an afternoon and many of them are located in our region of the state. You can even have a picnic at many of the locations while taking in the scenery and enjoying a glass of wine.

For a 2010 copy of the Connecticut Wine Trail brochure, which outlines all the wineries that make up the wine trail, and for more information about events and promotions go to www.ctwine.com.

Enjoy the summer season and all that Connecticut has to offer!