Local Food Is In, And State Farmers Reap The Bounty

Restaurants wanting to buy their salad greens from Urban Oaks Organic Farm in New Britain are likely to end up on a waiting list.

“For us, the battle is just trying to keep up with the demand,” said Ken Zaborowski, a manager at Urban Oaks. “The last year and a half, everything started picking up.”

Three years ago, the small nonprofit farm sold only a few pounds of greens each week. This year, it’s selling 40 pounds a week and has started looking for more land for expansion.

… Concerns about food contamination and the environmental effects of long-haul transportation, plus a craving for superior taste, are creating a booming demand. At the same time, record fuel prices are making local growers more competitive with huge agricultural businesses that ship goods all over the country.

The robust demand hasn’t yet translated into more farmers, though. It’s hard to increase the supply of locally grown food in a state where, traditionally, the best use for farmland has been development.

Hartford Courant