Connecticut Trails Day weekend continues Sunday, June 8. Hikes, walks, trail runs, rides, paddles, and trail work parties. Bike and equestrian rides. Find one near you; official site link here.

Tour Trail Wood Sanctuary on Sunday, June 8, 2 p.m., Kenyon Rd., Hampton, Conn. Admission.
The farmhouse on this 168-acre property (with tons of trails) was the beloved home of naturalist Edwin Way Teale and his wife, Nellie. Call (860) 928-4948 for information. Open daily, year-round, from dawn to dusk. The buildings are open to the public at other times only by appointment.

Author Edwin Way Teale wrote “Our minds, as well as our bodies, have need of the out-of-doors. Our spirits, too, need simple things, elemental things, the sun and the wind and the rain, moonlight and starlight, sunrise and mist and mossy forest trails, the perfumes of dawn and the smell of fresh-turned earth and the ancient music of wind among the trees.”

Did you know? John Deere (the man behind the name) was an American blacksmith born in Rutland, Vermont. He was apprenticed at age 17 to Captain Benjamin Lawrence of Middlebury and struck out on his own in 1825.

Rake, dig, sweep, clean, transplant, weed. Mow – mow again – then head out for fresh foods, conversation, ideas and people-watching at a farm market near your. Bring an umbrella and be ready for nearly any combination of weather. Variety adds spice to life, after all.

Get some fresh ideas. TED talks on agriculture and a variety of business innovations linked here.

Shake a leg; get up and dance. TW/MDP

“If a child is to keep his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.” – Rachel Carson

Work to sculpt the landscape for the Connecticut Trees of Honor Memorial at Veterans Park in Middletown is in progress. After trees are removed, new ornamental cherry, snow crab, dogwoods will be planted along a path that skirts a reflecting pond in the center of the park. The memorial will also feature sculptures and granite plaques to honor veterans.

Hungry for fresh food? To find out what's in season in your area (ripe, flowering, pick your own) see this link to the Grace Communication Foundation Seasonal food guide. Very well done.

The Ag Innovations Network works to create a better food system by bringing together stakeholders – often adversaries – in well designed processes to solve problems. Here's their Facebook page for some cross-pollination of ideas and solutions.

Another group to look towards is the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), a national alliance of family farm, food, conservation, rural, and urban organizations that advocate for the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture and food systems. Here's a link to their publications (PDF downloads) page. Take a look at the “Value-Added Producer Grant program” where producers eligible include farmers, ranchers, and harvesters (loggers and fishermen).

Hay. Too busy getting things growing, fixed or fenced? More events on the horizon can be found on our Ag Events page.