Beginning Farmer Programs

UConn Extension is partnering with CT DoAg (Connecticut Grown) to improve farm marketing capacity for Connecticut organic farms through free, one-on-one technical assistance. This assistance, available to certified organic and transitioning organic farm businesses, will aid in marketing and branding, and will inform you of the best ways to increase consumer awareness of the value of your USDA certified organic products.

Earlier this year, CT NOFA faced a critical funding crossroads. Well into our budgeted programming for the year, we faced sudden and substantial cuts to federally funded programming that constituted the majority of our work for 2025. But then, something moving happened.

Hoadley Hills Farm (South Kent) is the first certified organic livestock farm in Connecticut. They produce pasture-raised pork, chicken, turkey, and eggs, as well as grass-fed and pasture raised beef.

Last summer, we were proud to announce the organic certification of farm graduates from our Transition to Organic Partnership Program. We’re equally pleased to report the organic certification of three more farms, all members of our 2025 TOPP cohort: Steadfast Farms, Farmington Valley Fungi, and Autumn Harvest Orchard.

Americans want healthy organic food to feed their families. Today, 82% of American households purchase organic produce and demand for organic continues to rise. In fact, over the past two decades, demand consistently outpaced domestic production capacity. Imported organic ingredients and finished goods fill the gap, with the United States spending an estimated $8.9 billion on organic imports in 2024, according to research by the Organic Trade Association in 2025.

In our previous update, we discussed the potential effects of the federal grant funding freeze on CT NOFA’s ability to continue our full slate of programs and services. Although our pledged grant funds continue to be frozen and are without a timeline for resolution, we want to be clear about our position: while some of our programs and communications will become more limited in scope, CT NOFA is not shutting down.