Are you a 4-H member who participated in 2023?
Are you between the ages of 13 and 18?
Do you want to share your experience?
Please help us gather feedback on our programming by filling out the anonymous Annual Index Survey at s.uconn.edu/4-Hindex23
Are you looking for activities to get you outside this Summer? Do you want more riding instruction to grow your skillset? The UConn Animal Science department is offering horseback riding classes to the public this summer and there is something for everyone! Learn more at the following link: s.uconn.edu/summer-riding
Lessons include Dressage, Hunt Seat, Polo, Trail, Western and more! Sessions begin May 8th and run through the end of August.
Interested in making your farm more resilient? Concerned about climate change? Join us at the Litchfield County Extension Center on February 9 to learn about ways to enable your operation to be sustainable. Dinner provided! For more information and to register, visit: https://nwcd.org/events/
For special accommodations, please contact info@nwcd.org
An organized partnership between Put Local on Your Tray, Connecticut Department of Agriculture, UConn Extension, and Connecticut Farm To School Collaborative is excited to offer “Bringing the Farm to the School” a producer training for CT Farmers to navigate the opportunities and challenges of selling into public K-12 schools!
Did you know that Districts across the state are poised to receive federal dollars that can only be spent specifically on fresh and minimally processed local product! This creates an amazing opportunity for farmers across the state to get started in farm to school and scale up to meet this opportunity.
This free, day-long workshop will bring together farmers and public-school food service directors to learn, connect and share best practices, success stories and frustrations.
Who is this for?
- Fruit, vegetable, meat and added value dairy producers
- Farm businesses of all sizes and growing practices
- Growers looking to expand their market
- producers who think the farm to school market is not for them because there are too many barriers.
The barriers are not as high as you may think! Here is the registration link again!
For service providers and supports interested in participating please email shannon.raider@uconn.edu.
CT NOFA is proud to present our 41st Winter Conference, to be held the second week of March, kicking off on Monday, March 6th, 2023 with a week of live virtual workshops and concluding on March 11th with an in-person gathering and celebration at Wesleyan University.
We’ll be offering a variety of live virtual workshops on farming, seed saving, organic land care, community food security, social justice issues, and more.
Join us in March as we learn, grow, innovate, and think critically about what we want our food system to look like in the future. Registration is open on a sliding scale ⏤ this model allows us to practice economic solidarity, providing mutual support for the cost of our programs. In this way, we make our education more accessible and help cover costs of operation. Choose the pricing tier that fits with your income and access to wealth, and help us create a more just, inclusive, and equitable conference.
Most farmers want their land to stay in agriculture, but very few have plans in place that articulate how the land, equipment, business, and other assets will be divided among the next generation or unrelated operator. Succession planning can present challenges, and each situation is unique. Land For Good has helped hundreds of farmers find innovative solutions that keep their farms in farming, whether they have an identified successor or not.
The Farm Succession School hosted by Land For Good, in partnership with Connecticut Department of Agriculture and UConn Extension, is a three-session winter course with curriculum designed to help senior farmers think through the many aspects of succession planning, clarify vision and goals, get next steps on paper, and review necessary documents to provide for a smooth transition. Sessions include ample time to share and learn from other farmers facing similar questions. Farmers do not need to have an identified successor to participate in this course. The Farm Succession School will take place at the Tolland County Agricultural Center, 24 Hyde Avenue, Route 30, Vernon, meeting January 24, February 28, and March 28. Learn more and register.
Additional support opportunities are available. A free live webinar series for transitioning farmers and junior generation farmers will offer the basics of succession planning, like how to get started, where to find advisors and resources, ask questions, and get help. All generations, including family and non-family members, who may play a role in the farm’s future are encouraged to attend. This online four-part series meets weekly, beginning January 18. Learn more and register.
Land For Good also offers one-on-one advising to help farmers start, continue, or complete their farm succession and address the financial, legal, and business challenges involved in transferring a farm to a next generation family member or unrelated successor. Costs vary depending on farmer needs and available funding, with always a sliding scale option. Learn more or call 603-357-1600 to initiate a no-cost informational session.
“This work is supported by the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Grant, grant no.: 2021-70035-3555, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.”
Register today for a well water workshop for residents in Windham, Coventry and Mansfield! Even if your well water tastes and smells fine, that doesn’t always mean its safe to drink. The workshop will run Sunday, February 12th, 2:30pm-4:00pm at Eastern Connecticut State University. At the end of the workshop there will be the opportunity to submit a low-cost ($50) test for your own well water.
Visit s.uconn.edu/welltestwindham to register. Seats are limited and registration is required.
Stigma exists across all age groups for those struggling with mental health. Navigation of the
teen years in everyday situations can create angst and uncomfortable feelings that are difficult
to express. According to the CDC, rates of depression and anxiety climb significantly during the
ages of 12-17. Suicide is the second leading cause of death of youths in the United States.
AgriSafe offers Invest in Your Health Trainer Exchange, where educators can be certified to train
on the AgriSafe modules. AgriSafe provides the course instruction and training materials. Under
their open share platform, once certified, educators would be free to use the training materials
in their classroom or out of school settings.
Friday, January 27, 2:00-3:30pm, Middlesex County Extension Center
Saturday, January 28, 1:30-2:30 pm, virtual
Monday, January 30, 6-7:30pm, Litchfield County Extension Center
– Register here for Middlesex
– Register here for virtual
– Register here for Litchfield
Invest in Your Health:
Cultivating a Healthy Mind
Train the Trainer Workshop
Lisa Ford, MA, LADC, LPC
Lisa has served on the board of Connecticut Association for
Addiction Professionals (CAAP), the state chapter of the
National Association of Alcohol and Drug Counselors
(NAADAC) as communications chairperson. She is a member
of NAMI and NAADAC.
