Checking in with Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt

Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt said consumers are seeing the value in buying locally grown produce more since the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the fragility of the supply chain.

“Like everything with the pandemic, the rollercoaster has been steep in the beginning and a lot of high ups and low downs. I think we are at a more level place,” Hurlburt said. “The ups and downs did sort of level out.”

A lot of Connecticut’s farms and wholesalers that depended on foodservice customers found new ways to market their goods, using cooperative efforts, community supported agriculture subscription memberships, and direct-to-consumer pickup and delivery.

“You can’t be a farm for hundreds of years and multiple generations if you’re not entrepreneurial and innovative and find new ways to market your goods and meet market demand,” Hurlburt said. “So, we saw a number of folks do just that.”

Also, there have been a lot of changes at the Connecticut Regional Market, formerly known as the Hartford Regional Market.

The 33-acre property has four main warehouses with 14 tenants, most operating from multiple units.

Inside the facilities are the wholesalers and distributors. Outside, there’s a more consumer-facing farmers market, with a big portion dedicated to floral sales.

The state government closed the market to the general public for a bit at the start of the pandemic while officials figured out how to handle the usual crowds.

In late 2018, the state legislature voted for a management transition from the Connecticut Marketing Authority housed in the state's Department of Agriculture to the Capital Region Development Authority.

A quasi-governmental agency that focuses on redevelopment, the authority has been investing heavily in facility improvements since then.

“The feeling was that this is a better organization (for management of the market) because they’re real estate developers and managers,” Hurlburt said. “The (Connecticut) Regional Market needs some investment. It needs some engineering done to it. And you know, quite honestly, that’s not where the Connecticut Department of Agriculture has expertise, and the CRDA does.”

Watch the video and look for a full “Connecticut: Know Your Market” editorial section Nov. 9 to learn much more.

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