Date: Fri 25-Oct-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Agri-Expo-Ferris

Full Text:

with photos: Connecticut's Harvest Bounty

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

Connecticut farmers produced one pumpkin for every three residents of the

state this year. They also grew two quarts of strawberries per person, 10

pounds of sweet corn, 8 to 12 pounds of apples and produced 295 eggs per

person.

Agriculture is not dead in Connecticut - it's a $2.1 billion-a-year business -

a point that the state's first Agri-Expo, held last Sunday in the State Armory

in Hartford, clearly reflected.

Despite the weekend storm, crowds filled the large exhibition hall at the

armory where 120 booths showed the diversity and depth of the state's

agriculture. There were live buffaloes and llamas, cows, rabbits, and horses,

which ranged from huge stallions to a miniature pinto, just 26 inches tall.

Boer goats from Cablecroft Farm in Harwinton cavorted in their pen; nearby, a

display of cashmere yarn and sweaters showed what is done with the fleece from

the Austrialian cashmere goats raised by Louis and Julia Wasserman at Medridge

Farm on Walnut Tree Hill Road in Sandy Hook.

There were representatives of the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station,

the UConn Extension System, the Farm Bureau and nurserymen, greenhouse growers

and florists, candlemakers and other crafters, displays of antique farm

equipment, and many gourmet food producers, most giving away samples of their

products.

Connecticut growers produce 30 million pounds of apples each year, a number

reflected in the presence of apples and apple products in displays throughout

the show, including one booth staffed by Frank and Doris Germinaro of Bethel's

Blue Jay Orchards. Their booth featured the company's Apple Hill Farm

specialty apple and pear butters, apple sauces and apple chutney.

Robert Badal, executive director of the Connecticut Marketing Authority, which

operates a regional market in Hartford, said the event was the brainchild of

State Agriculture Commissioner Shirley Ferris.

"We hope it will be an annual event," Mr Badal said. "We've had an excellent

turnout - look at all the families, people here with their children."

Among those families were several from Newtown.

"I had no idea that the event would be this extensive - this is great!"

exclaimed Marie Walker, who was there with her daughter, Darlene Spencer, and

Darlene's children, Carla and Jeffrey.

Midway through the day there was a "Culinary Conquest" between Lt Gov Jodi

Rell and three of the state's top chefs: Francesca Reale of City Fare in

Hartford, Dwight Doolittle from the Griswold Inn in Essex, and Paul Rafala of

Carbone's in Hartford.

A basket containing lamb supplied by Sankrow's Beaver Brook Farm in Lyme,

mushrooms from the Franklin Mushroom Farm and vegetables and apples from

various Connecticut farms were given to the lieutenant governor and each chef

with the instruction to create a meal. The judges included Hartford Mayor Mike

Peters, Prudence Sloan of Prudence Sloan's Cooking School in Hampton, the

Hartford Courant food editor and Kaaren Valenta of The Bee.

Jodi Rell got some prep help from members of the Future Farmers of America

including Erin Sepe of Newtown who attends the VoAg school at Nonnewaug in

Woodbury and who is the state FFA president this year.

After the cooking was done, and the results sampled, Francesca Reale's menu

was judged best overall, Stu Doolittle's menu was awarded "most exciting,"

Paul Rafala's "most original and creative," and Jodi Rell's was the best

presentation and the best dessert.

"Farmin' Fever," a lively audience-participation program meant to educate

children of all ages about food and agriculture, was performed twice during

the afternoon.