Building farm friendly communities throughout Connecticut.

The fourteen towns who participated in the AGvocate Program have all made significant strides in promoting agriculture at the local level. This includes implementation of Right to Farm ordinances, updating zoning regulations, including agriculture in Plans of Conservation & Development, and promoting agriculture at the local level through events for producers and the public.

The AGvocate Program has created brochures while working with each town to showcase their agriculture products and services, and has also developed  a “Farms in our Community” and “Living Next to a Farm” brochure to teach residents how to be good neighbors to farms. AGvocate has hosted numerous workshops, including a “train the trainer”, and regional conferences to showcase the value and need of agriculture in the community and to also give an opportunity to learn about programs and projects that can bolster the farming community. Since the Program’s creation, the direct assistance provided to municipalities, the “Train the Trainer” sessions, and the program template has led to the existence of 35+ agricultural committees and commissions across the state. The Connecticut Department of Agriculture has built upon the success of the AGvocate Program, including the existence of a local Agriculture Commission as one of the prerequisite conditions for eligibility of its Community Farms Preservation Program, begun in 2013.