Agriculture and Food

Cultivating Community and Food Access

Convenience defines much of modern life and nowhere is that more evident than in the grocery store. Strolling down the aisles, it’s easy to find most products whether it is July or January.

While this convenience is nice, it often creates a disconnect from our food, farmers, and communities. Grown ConNECTed, a regional initiative led by UConn Extension, strives to link consumers in Northeastern Connecticut to their local food systems by connecting consumers to local farms and farmers’ markets where they can find community, flavor, and that same convenience.

Fresh, flavorful, nutritious food is just one of the many benefits of this connection. Buying directly from regional farms also supports the local economy, ensures farmers receive fair compensation, reduces environmental impact, and strengthens community connections while fostering a more resilient food system. Across consumers and farms, these benefits really add up.

Farms, by their nature, are part of the community and have built many relationships in the areas they serve. Jenne and Grown ConNECTed build on those relationships, while visiting the farms and sharing this greater farming community of eastern Connecticut.

“The farms in the rural region of eastern Connecticut have so much to offer,” says Ginger Jenne, project coordinator with UConn Extension. “But they are in lower population density areas and it’s hard to know where they are. It’s important to support these farms and help people find them, so that’s where we have stepped in.”

Consumer support is vital for these farms and their long-term success. Looking ahead, Grown ConNECTed will continue strengthening farm networks through increased visibility and a more inclusive local food system. The team is working with the Last Green Valley and the Connecticut Office of Tourism to continue strengthening Eastern Connecticut farms.

“Find a farm you love and support them. There are so many to choose from, and they’re all part of our community,” says Jenne.

Read the full article at s.uconn.edu/cultivating.

Funding for Grown ConNECTed was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agriculture Marketing Services through grant agreement 24FMPPCT1225-00. The project’s content is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.