Press Releases

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• 10/4/2023 CT Grown introduces new brand ambassador — renowned cheesemaker Lily Orr

  HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut’s farming industry will have a new voice and face this fall as renowned farmer and cheesemaker Lily Orr has signed on as the new ambassador for CT Grown. Orr, who was raised on a multigenerational dairy farm in Thompson, will be highly visible throughout the state’s entire agricultural landscape — from making video content and social media posts to appearances at agricultural fairs and visiting farms in every corner of Connecticut. 

• 10/6/2023 Connecticut Department of Agriculture Announces Farmland Restoration Flood Response Grant Awards

• 10/30/2023 Connecticut Department of Agriculture Accepting Applications For Low-Income Pet Vaccinations and Sterilizations Starting November 1

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s Animal Population Control Program (APCP) will begin accepting applications for the Low-Income Program to assist eligible Connecticut residents with vaccination and sterilization of their owned pets on Wednesday, November 1, 2023. Application forms are available for download in English and Spanish at https://portal.ct.gov/DOAG/Regulatory/Regulatory/Animal-Population-Control-Program. They must be completed and returned by mail.

• 10/12/2023 Second Connecticut Horse Confirmed Positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Agriculture announced today the second equine case of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) for 2023.

• 5/12/2023 Connecticut Farm Wineries Launches 2023 Passport Program

  (HARTFORD, CT) The Connecticut Farm Wine Development Council announces the start of the 2023 CT Farm Wineries passport program on Friday, May 12. The Passport to Connecticut Wine Country, which runs through December 31, 2023, encourages consumers to engage with the state’s more than 45 farm wineries — 38 of which participate in the passport program. Available as a user-friendly mobile app available on most devices, search CT Wine Passport to download from the Apple App Store and on Google Play.

• 2/10/2023 CT DoAg Announces Recipients of Farm Transition Grant

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) today announced the recipients of grant funds through the Farm Transition Grant (FTG), with a total of $549,649 going to 30 projects to assist Connecticut agricultural producers and cooperatives seeking to expand, diversify, and improve their existing operation.

• 5/26/2023 Governor Lamont Requests Federal Agriculture Disaster Declaration Due to Crop Damage Caused by Recent Sub-Freezing Temperatures

• 2/10/2023 CT DoAg Announces Funding Opportunities for Connecticut Specialty Crops

  (HARTFORD) The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) is now accepting applications for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) for the 2023 program year.

• 4/11/2023 Connecticut Milk Promotion Board Awards $660,000 to Increase Consumption and Expand Access of Milk and Dairy Products

  The Connecticut Milk Promotion Board (CT MPB), administered by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg), has awarded three grants totaling $660,000 to projects that align with their strategic vision to increase purchases and expand the access of milk and dairy products to consumers, retailers, institutions, and other applicable outlets.

• 4/28/2023 Lt. Governor, State Officials Highlight CTDCF and CTDOAG Partnership To Prevent Child Abuse and Animal Cruelty

  (Newington) - Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, state and federal officials and animal welfare advocates today discussed the connection between animal cruelty, child maltreatment and other forms of interpersonal violence.

• 2/28/2023 Connecticut Department of Agriculture Seizes Sheep from Beacon Falls Farm

  (HARTFORD, CT) – On February 24, 2023, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) executed a search and seizure warrant for animals located in Beacon Falls, CT.

• 4/21/2023 Connecticut Department of Agriculture Announces Release of Fifth Annual Connecticut Grown Magazine

  (HARTFORD, CT) – The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) announces the release of the fifth annual edition of Connecticut Grown, a guide to the state’s farms, food, and markets. This edition reflects on where Connecticut agriculture has been while looking forward and setting intentions for the future.

• 4/11/2023 Regulatory Update for Honey & Maple Syrup Producers

  The Connecticut Department of Agriculture announces a regulatory update for honey and maple syrup producers in Connecticut. The new regulations, effective February 10, 2023, are a result of Public Act 19-18, which transferred the responsibility to regulate the production and sale of Honey and Maple Syrup from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.

• 4/20/2023 Motorists Reminded to Share the Road with Farm Equipment This Spring

  HARTFORD — Planting season is underway for many of Connecticut’s 5,500 farms. Motorists are likely to see more large, slow-moving farm equipment traveling Connecticut’s rural roads and highways. The Connecticut Department of Agriculture and Connecticut Department of Transportation encourage motorists to slow down, be aware, and be patient on roadways this spring.

• 8/4/2023 Vibrio Statement 2023

  The Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Aquaculture routinely monitors oyster harvest areas statewide for vibrio levels during the summer months. Samples are screened for levels of total vibrio bacteria and then vibrio vulnificus and pathogenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus levels. The bureau’s laboratory will have updated results on Friday, August 4, of Vibrio, both vibrio parahaemolyticus and vibrio vulnificus, from harvest areas statewide.