Sen. Gordon Applauds State Investment in Coventry, Ellington, Stafford Farms

CT DoAg awards grants to Still River Farm, Oakridge Dairy, and Freedom Farm for climate resiliency in production agriculture.

State Sen. Jeff Gordon (R-Woodstock), member of the Appropriations Committee, applauded state grant awards from the Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) to Still River Farm in Coventry, Oakridge Dairy in Ellington, and Freedom Farm in Stafford to invest 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)
• Oakridge Dairy LLC: $100,000 (Soil Health and Organic Matter Biodiversity, Water Management, Capital Improvements and Purchases)
• Freedom Farm LLC: $100,000 (Soil Health and Organic Matter Biodiversity, Forest Management, Enhanced Grazing Land Management)

He said, “Thank you to Commissioner 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.”

CT DoAg is funding 20 projects in all, totaling $1.475 million. The projects are part of the Farmland Restoration, Climate Resiliency and Preparedness Grant, which was authorized by and funded through Connecticut General Statues 22-6c with 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. CT DoAg received 66 eligible grant applications requesting up to $4.8 million in funding. Of the 20 awards, 13 were directed towards beginning/underserved producers and 5 to BIPOC producers.

Awardees will be provided technical assistance by a soil scientist or other advisor assigned by and paid for by CT DoAg in the development of their Farmland Restoration and Climate Resiliency Plan (FRCR Plan). Upon approval of the FRCR Plan by CT DoAg, grantees will receive funding to implement the FRCR Plan.