Partners & Resources

Growing Connecticut Agriculture to foster a healthy economic, environmental and social climate. 

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The mission of the Connecticut Farm Bureau is to elevate the stature of agriculture in our state. Through education, market promotion and legislative advocacy, we strive to increase farm income and to improve the quality of life not only for Connecticut farmers, but also for their consumers.

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Connecticut Farmland Trust is a statewide nonprofit organization working to protect farmland from the constant threat of development. Keeping land in farms helps to establish a local, sustainable food system, supports our economy, and contributes to improving the quality of land, air and water. Our goal is to make working lands available to Connecticut farmers for the indefinite future.

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Connecticut Conservation Districts are local non-profit organizations that serve municipalities & residents by providing technical services & education.

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Connecticut Resource Conservation & Development cultivates innovative partnerships and programs to promote agriculture, conservation, economic growth, and healthy food systems. Serving the farming community through the following programs: AGvocate, CT Farm Energy Program, Compost Heat Recovery, CIG No-Till Equipment Hub and Soil Health Initiative.

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The Last Green Valley is a 35-town National Heritage Corridor in eastern Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts. Green by day and dark by night, The Last Green Valley has a rich history in a surprisingly rural landscape. Still 77% forest and farm, we are the last swath of dark night sky in the coastal sprawl between Boston and Washington DC.

The Last Green Valley, Inc. (TLGV) helps people enjoy the National Heritage Corridor while inspiring them to care for and pass on its natural and cultural resources. Agricultural sustainability is an important component of TLGV’s mission and TLGV is proud to be an AGvocate partner.

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A Guide Map to Agriculture in the Last Green Valley

UCONN Extension co-creates knowledge with farmers, families, communities, and businesses. We educate. We convene groups to solve problems for food, health, and sustainability. UConn Extension specialists work in communities across Connecticut as educators, problem solvers, catalysts, collaborators and stewards.

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USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers the opportunity for farmers to obtain loans to buy farmland or to get needed operating funds. Farmers can also use low interest loans to build a hay barn, put up grain bins, build a cold storage structure, get a bulk milk tank, purchase a refrigerated vehicle to get produce to market, or for other storage needs. 

Farmers can participate in commodity programs, sign up for disaster assistance, enroll in the Margin Protection Program for Dairy, get refunded for part of the cost to become certified Organic, be part of the local County Office Committee, work with programs to conserve farmland soils, report acreages of crops gown, and more. The agency places special emphasis on assisting beginning farmers, minority, women and veterans. 

A new initiative of FSA is to help facilitate connecting farmers with SCORE mentors who offer free consulting to enhance the business, marketing and planning for the farm. The first meeting will be at your farm to create a conversation about strengths, concerns and goals. View a Connecticut video of this project.

Visit farmers.gov to locate your local USDA Farm Service Agency office. 

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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture.  For more than 70 years, we have worked cooperatively with landowners, conservation districts, federal, state, and local governments, and citizens from urban and rural communities to restore and enhance the landscape. NRCS soil conservationists, soil scientists, agronomists, ecologists, engineers, planners, and other specialists promote land stewardship by providing technical assistance through teams to address surface and groundwater quality; wetlands, riparian areas, and biodiversity; aquatic and terrestrial habitat; and impacts of landuse changes. NRCS teams work on all of Connecticut's landscapes: agricultural, wetlands and riparian areas, suburban, rural, urban centers, and forested.

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USDA Rural Development (RD) is committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. Through our programs, we help rural Americans in many ways. We offer loans, grants and loan guarantees to help create jobs and support economic development and essential services such as housing, health care, first responder services and equipment, and water, electric and communications infrastructure.

We promote economic development by supporting loans to businesses through banks, credit unions and community-managed lending pools. We offer technical assistance and information to help agricultural producers and cooperatives get started and improve the effectiveness of their operations. We provide technical assistance to help communities undertake community empowerment programs. We help rural residents buy or rent safe, affordable housing and make health and safety repairs to their homes.

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Working Lands Alliance is a diverse network of individuals dedicated to protecting Connecticut’s working lands.

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