Town Introduces Farm Assistance Program

This month, the Town of Glastonbury will host two community workshops to introduce the 2024 Farm Assistance Program, a grant program developed to support local farms that experienced a financial hardship as a result of last year’s significant weather events. The Glastonbury Town Council appropriated $220,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the program, and eligible farmers can apply for reimbursement grants of up to $10,000 for qualifying expenses. To introduce the program and gather community input, the Town will host two informational sessions in mid-May. The workshops will review the proposed program including the draft application and documentation requirements. Following each presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and contribute feedback.

The workshops are scheduled for Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 2:00 PM and Friday, May 17, 2024 at 10:00 AM. Both sessions will be offered in a hybrid meeting format, allowing interested citizens to attend in-person at Town Hall Council Chambers (2155 Main Street) or virtually by Zoom. The workshops will also be recorded for those who cannot attend, and links to the video recordings will be shared through the Town website once available.

The workshops are open to all and Glastonbury farmers are strongly encouraged to attend. The presentation will be the same on both dates, however, the Q&A sessions will unfold organically at each workshop based on participation. For community convenience, the proposed Farm Assistance Program documents and workshop information is available on the Town website for review at www.glastonburyct.gov/FAP. Although registration is not required, citizens may RSVP to Kathryn at marketing@glastonbury-ct.gov to note the workshop date of planned attendance.

Farms are an integral part of the Glastonbury community and the Farm Assistance Program aims to help farmers overcome financial challenges brought forth by recent weather events. Future program developments will be shared through the Town website over coming weeks.