Lend A Hand On Terra Firma Farm

Terra Firma Farm has a mission to "teach children to grow through growing, to care by caring for, and to nurture by nurturing."

The farm is located in southeastern Connecticut and offers many opportunities for campers over the summer and birthday celebrations, plus community supported agriculture, known as CSA.

Even children are welcome to help out with adult supervision. Volunteers from schools, businesses, religious congregations and other organizations may help with tasks or a company can host a group volunteer day. For more information e-mail brianne@terrafirmafarm.

Regular volunteer hours are the first Saturday and Sunday of the month (through November) from 9 a.m. to noon. Other hours can be arranged.

Work can range from planting, transplanting, weeding or harvesting or caring for livestock, including barn work, socialization, daily chores and feeding.

Terra Firma Farm is located at 330 Al Harvey Rd., Stonington, Connecticut, and is open Monday through Saturday for visits and self-guided tours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed on Sunday. Call (860) 535-8171 for information.

CSA-ers At Ambler Farm, Monday Jan. 11

Community Supported Agriculture, also known as CSA, is the focus of a seminar on Monday, Jan. 11, 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Ambler Farm, 257 Hurlbutt St. in Wilton.

Three CSA farmers, Dina Brewster, The Hickories, Ridgefield; Paul Bucciaglia, Fort Hill Farm, New Milford; and Patricia Popp, Sport Hill Farm, Easton, will be at Ambler Farm to talk about their programs, their challenges and their visions of the future for community supported farming.

Registration is $5 per person, and advanced registration is required.

For details, e-mail amblerfarm@gmail.com or call (203) 834-1143.

Ambler Farm is set on 22 acres of with barns and buildings and gardens. The Raymond-Ambler House (a beautiful white farmhouse) is circa 1799.

Map, Resource For CSAs, Produce Grown Locally

A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a way for the food-buying public to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of produce, according to Local Harvest, an online "living" public nationwide directory of small farms, farmers markets, and other local food sources.

"By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become members (or 'shareholders' or 'subscribers') of the CSA. Most CSA farmers prefer that members pay for the season up-front, but some will accept weekly or monthly payments. Some also require that members work a small number of hours on the farm during the growing season."

To find local fresh produce from farm markets (yes, even in winter), visit the Connecticut Department of Agriculture online.

To see a thriving "oysters community garden" aquaculture program in nearby Long Island, see related story.

For Vermont resources for fresh (open in winter) locations, see www.vermontagriculture.com.

Trivia: Wethersfield was once known as "Oniontown" due to the world-famous Wethersfield red onion crops grown in the dark fertile floodplain soil. The town is located the heart of the Connecticut River valley.

There are almost two million farms in the USA. About 80% of those are small farms, and a large percentage are family owned. To see a map of that distribution, or to add your venture to the listing, visit Local Harvest. View what you can find in your own backyard using the online map search tool (see company image, below).