Last year, farmers on Connecticut’s shoreline and in the Connecticut River valley had to deal with a growing season was hot and dry. And, like everyone else, they had to deal with market disruptions caused by the pandemic. This year, it was a bit cooler and wet, and Connecticut’s farmers continued to adjust as their markets continued to shift.

William Dellacamera at Cecarellis Harrison Hill Farm on the Old Post Road in Northford experienced a setback last year when the restaurant and hospitality business abruptly closed down. But then he signed on the popular federal Farmers to Families food box program. At the height of the program, he was supplying more than 2,000 boxes a week of fresh vegetables. Then, earlier this year, smaller farms like his were abruptly cut out of the program in favor of big agriculture, much to his frustration.

Now, he’s back to supplying his normal wholesale customers. Volume is down a bit from its pre-pandemic pace.

“But it’s not terrible,” he says.

Dellacamera’s experience, and resiliency, are typical of many Connecticut farmers who survived 2020 and early 2021, says Bryan P. Hulbert, the commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Agriculture. In a letter he wrote in the most recent issue of Connecticut Grown, he says they persevered to remain viable businesses and to help feed a community hungry for local food.

“Throughout all of the challenges that 2020 has presented—a global pandemic, challenging weather, severe drought, and invasive pests, to name a few—our agriculture and aquaculture businesses have remained steadfast in their commitment to carry on the traditions of the generations before them while staying nimble enough to change with the times,” he says.

Hopeful It Will Continue

At Four Root Farm on Tater Hill Road in East Haddam, last year was similarly a challenge, but Aaron Taylor, who runs the farm with a four-person team, says “we were fortunate that the farm business did well as people sought out local food in the safe outdoor buying environment of the farmers’ market.” Like other farms, they set up online ordering and contactless pickups and continue to offer those as many customers love the pre-order system.

“We are hopeful that we can continue to be a part of our many new customers’ food routines as life returns to some sort of normal,” he says.

At Barberry Hill Farm on the Boston Post Road in Madison, Kelly and Kingsley Goddard say they, too, picked up business during the pandemic, and that this year is going well.

They are benefiting from some value-added products including kale/collard pesto and new flavors of jam, including their popular tri-berry jam. They also are growing lettuce throughout the season this year, much to the delight of their customers. And truth be told, they say, in the past 30 years of farming, they haven’t seen an average season yet, with each year offering new rewards and challenges.

The farmers from all three farms are looking forward to a heavy summer harvest of tomatoes, peppers, onions, cucumbers, eggplant, corn, and, of course, zucchini.

And then come the fall crops.

See Trials

At Four Root Farm, Taylor says he’s excited about a trial of four different varieties of Belgian endive that the farm is running or Johnny’s Selected Seeds. The farm will be giving Johnny’s feedback on some varieties that might be added to the seed catalog.

“This is a crop I’ve had fun growing in small amounts the last few years, but we’re doing more this year, and I’m thrilled to be partnering with Johnny’s to help them improve the available seed stock! I expect the first of the crop to be ready in late November-December,” Taylor says.

The farm also is running a trial of okra grown inside a high tunnel (which he says is a greenhouse structure with no floor where the plants are grown directly in the ground).

“We’ve been experimenting with this heat-loving crop for the last few years, and are hoping that with even more heat and protection inside the tunnel it will be extra productive and maybe even last later into the fall,” he says.

Four Root Farm also is planning for a whole second round of greens and roots for the fall season.

“Kale, chard, bok choi, Chinese broccoli, carrots, turnips, beets, rutabaga, celery, fennel... fall is the best!” says Taylor.

Those should be available September through December. It’s too early to say for sure, he says, but for this season, “so far things are looking pretty good!”

While all of that is in the works, he and his family are looking forward to making some simple dishes that highlight the amazing fresh produce they have worked so hard to produce during the first half of the year.

“If the tomato and cucumber are fresh enough, you don’t need a recipe! Just eat them!” he says.

But If You Want a Recipe...

That said, he adds, one of his family’s favorites is a simple pasta sauce made from tender fairy tale eggplants and sweet sun gold cherry tomatoes. Find it at www.fourrootfarm.com.

At Barberry Hill Farm, they are looking forward to fall crops of lima beans, French filet beans, winter squash, pumpkins, and fall flowers. And one of their favorite recipes this time of year is kale and white bean soup, one that uses up a whole head of kale.

As Dellacamera works on both his end of summer crops and fall crops, he also is giving thought as to how to cope with climate change, and how to support pollinators. He says he tries to do his part on the farm, and that he hopes others will as well.

“I have on this farm spent countless dollars and hours to try and help the environment,” he says, with measures that include planting cover crops to reduce soil erosion and to improve soil fertility, reduce tractor traffic in fields so as to use less fuel, planting grassed buffers to control runoff, and planting wildflowers to encourage native pollinators.

Dellacamera says he hopes, as things continue to return to whatever passes for normal these days, that people remember how lucky they are to have locally grown produce and continue to support local growers.

“In Connecticut we have the best cross section of agricultural products anyone could wish for, so go out and support the local farm. Stay out of the big box store and shop local,” he says. “If you need to shop the box store, demand local products. Don’t buy products from other countries or hundreds of miles away, even if they are American products. If our local economy thrives, we will, too.”

This time of year, he looks forward to eating his heirloom tomatoes with mozzarella, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

“I can eat them every day,” he says. “I don’t eat very many vegetables unless I grow them—I know, a bit snobbish. But I just can’t do it.”

And year in, year out, the more things change, the more one thing stays the same, and that’s one of his most favorite recipes this time of year. Corn on the cob, with a bit of butter, fresh from the field at the end of the day.

“I have the luxury of picking corn at 6 p.m. and eating it at 6:30,” he says.

To read about more tips, tricks, and recipes to make best use of the late summer harvest, see page 40 or visit zip06.com and search on the headline of this story, and click on the link to the related recipes.