A total of $816,706 in competitive, matching grants to expand Connecticut’s $3.5 billion agricultural industry include investments made through the Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s Farm Transition Grant and Farm Viability Grant programs to assist farms, agricultural nonprofits, and municipalities in efforts to increase production, promote Connecticut Grown products, and create jobs.

Grantees have one year to complete their projects and must match the award.

Farm Viability Grants (municipalities, agricultural non-profit organizations), $496,347:

American Farmland Trust, Windsor, program to improve agricultural viability of protected lands, project budget $60,199; grant, $30,219. Bozrah Farmers Market promotions project, $5,206; grant, $2,603. Brass City Harvest, Waterbury, improvements to year-round indoor farmers’ market project, budget $157,576; grant, $49,741. City Seed, New Haven, consumer 10 percent pledge program, including documentation of Connecticut-Grown products consumption, $46,725; grant $27,793. Community Farm of Simsbury, expansion of food security and education programs, vegetable wash stations, and equipment, $180,411; grant, $49,999. East Lyme marketing and promotion for farmers’ market, $10,000; grant, $3,800. Eastern Connecticut Resource Conservation and Development, Haddam, project to survey Connecticut farmers about current energy use and establish baseline data, budget $9,800; grant, $5,800. Eastern Connecticut Resource Conservation and Development, Vernon, for expansion of the “Agvocate” program into additional counties. Budget, $172,000; grant, $44,000. F.R.E.S.H. New London, development of a workplace community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. Project, $36,400; grant, $18,100. Friends of Sullivan Farm, New Milford, construction of greenhouse. Project, $24,066; grant, $4,813. Guilford, preparation, printing, and distribution of a town farms map, $4,000; grant $2,400. Harbor Watch, Westport, expansion of shoreline tracking effort to help eliminate sources of bacteria identified in 2012, $143,200; grant, $38,165. Killingly, plan to promote local agriculture through education, farm tours, tomato festival, and enhancement of agriculture commission, $11,125; grant, $5,855. Lebanon agricultural education outreach and farmland preservation property appraisals and surveys, $31,925; grant, $15,000. New Haven farms “fresh produce prescription program to increase participants’ consumption of fresh vegetables and improve health outcomes” budget $249,825; grant, $49,999. North End Action Team, Middletown, maintenance and expansion of Community Food Initiative and the North End Farmers’ Market, $62,213; grant, $30,088. Norwich Public Schools Food Service, refurbishment of an underused school kitchen to enable processing and increase use of Connecticut Grown produce, $102,516; grant, $49,999. Putnam, “fresh fruits and vegetable prescription” program, $51,560; grant, $32,760. Southbury farmers’ market promotion and advertising, $5,000; grant, $2,500. The Nature Conservancy of Connecticut, Sunny Valley Preserve, New Milford, farm building restoration projects, $65,581; grant, $21,225. Thompson, road sign project for town farms, $8,000; grant, $4,000. Voluntown, advertising and promotion of farmers’ marke, $14,976; grant, $7,488.

Established in 2005, the grants protect and preserve land in the state by supporting farm viability and preservation, agricultural infrastructure, municipal open space grants, historic preservation, and affordable housing programs. Funding is generated through a $40 fee collected for the recording of documents into municipal land records, including deeds, mortgages, mechanics’ liens, judgment liens, notices of lease, releases of mortgages and liens, name change certificates, notices of variances, and condominium declarations.

Governor Dannel Malloy announced $400,000 in funding to assist the 1940s-era Hartford Regional Market make essential roof repairs. The $617,100 roof repair project should be complete by the end of July and will not displace any vendors. This regional market is the largest perishable food distribution facility between Boston and New York, covering 32 acres and containing 230,386 square feet of warehouse space, an active railroad spur, and 144 farmers’ market stalls. Authorized by state statute, it provides a central location for farmers and wholesalers to sell and distribute food and other agricultural products.

Farm Transition Grants (agricultural producers and cooperatives) – $320,359 total:

Beech Tree Ranch, Bloomfield, improvements and fixtures for goat dairy, chicken, and hog farm. Total project budget $99,850; grant, $49,925. Beltane Farm, Lebanon, construction of new cheese production room, $25,825; grant, $12,912. Golden Oyster Company, Shelton, construction of shellfish harvest vessel, $20,000; grant, $10,000. Hillyland Farm, Windham, refurbishment of old dairy facility into tasting and sales room for new winery, $113,100; grant $49,999. Mattern Farm, Preston, refurbishment of dairy into cheese processing facility, $70,050; grant, 35,025. Mountaintop Mushrooms, Waterbury, expansion of indoor specialty mushroom growing facility, $70,000; grant, $35,000. Pell Farms, Somers, construction of new strawberry packing facility and cooler, $115,000; grant, $49,999. The Hickories Farm, Ridgefield, refurbishment of old barn for agricultural programming and community-supported agriculture (CSA) education, $21,000; grant, $10,500. Valleyside Farm, Woodstock, computer cow activity system for dairy herd management to improve efficiency and production, $34,000; grant, $17,000. Vincent Farms, West Suffield, construction of vegetable grading and packing building, vegetable cooler, tobacco sorting warehouse and sweat room, $120,950; grant, $49,999.

For information see www.CTGrown.gov.