© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New Grant to Help Rookie Farmers Find Their Footing

USDA NRCS / Analia Bertucci
/
Creative Commons
Turkeys at a farm in Moosup, Conn.

As the farming population gets older, a federal grant is going to fund training programs for new farmers. 

The grant to UConn Extension and six statewide agricultural partners will target rookie farmers -- providing nearly $600,000 to centers around the state that provide training and mentoring.

Recipients include:

  • Common Ground High School, New Haven
  • The Community Farm, Simsbury
  • The Green Village Initiative, Bridgeport
  • Killingly Agricultural Education Program
  • KNOX, Hartford
  • WRCC-GROW, Windham
  • UConn Extension's Listo Para Inciar in Danbury and Stamford

Training will include education for things like business and financial management -- as well as marketing and technical instruction for crop production.
The money comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture through its Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, an initiative aimed at bringing more young people into farming.

Nationally, the average age of a farmer is nearly 60 years old, and Connecticut farmers, on the whole, are getting older

Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. He can be reached at pskahill@ctpublic.org.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content