Hartford Business Journal

22 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | MARCH 20, 2023 South Farms in Morris hosts "Thursday Social" gatherings in the summer, featuring food trucks and entertainment. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Field Of Revenue Streams Small CT farms diversify with agritourism to survive, grow By Hanna Snyder Gambini hgambini@hartfordbusiness.com J ohn and Carolyn Torello are looking to add a new revenue stream to their farm by building a little sunshine in Cheshire. The owners of Old Bishop Farm recently gained approval to host events such as weddings, wine tastings and parties. They are now seeking separate permission to build "the Sunshine Barn" events venue to diversify the land's offerings. It's a trend that many agree is vital to help keep small farms alive. Project proponents say there are no similar venues in Cheshire, and that farmers must continually seek new ways to diversify. Old Bishop Farm dates back to the 1700s. Torello bought the 15-acre property in 2016, bulldozed the crops and replanted nearly 600 new fruit trees, mostly apple. He reopened in 2018 selling home- made ice cream and baked goods out of the existing on-site store. He is now looking to offer more products and experiences — like weddings, pick-your-own fruit, farmers markets and maybe farm yoga. His idea for the Sunshine Barn is a tribute to his late son Michael, whose nickname was Sunshine and who died last year but inspired the farm transformation. John Torello thought the farm would be a way for his disabled son to work in the family business, greeting customers or cutting flowers. The Torellos purchased the land for nearly $1 million, "but the real invest- ment was bulldozing and replanting, and rehabbing the buildings," some- thing he was happy to do for Michael. Now that the family's motivation for running the farm has shifted, the property has to at least be profitable, Torello said. "With the costs of everything increasing, including labor, farms always have to figure out a way to get revenue," he said. New generation of farming Since 2009, Ben Paletsky has been running his family's farm in Morris that dates back generations, now dubbed South Farms as a nod to the town's origins. Paletsky said his grandfather, who started out as a cattle dealer and dairy farmer, had the foresight to diversify back in the 1940s and '50s. It's a need that continues for many farmers today. The fourth-generation farm continues producing cattle, hay, corn and pumpkins in cooperation with other local farm partners. But in 2015, Paletsky started hosting weddings, wine tastings, and other events in the farm's center- piece attraction, the White Barn at South Farms. In 2018, he invested in outfitting the barn with a commercial kitchen for on-site food preparation, and additional gathering space for larger events. "It's not a trivial undertaking," Paletsky said. "The intent was to build a state-of-the-art venue in a historic space," and it's been a success. With "margins too thin in farming," the agritourism business allows him and others around Connecticut and New England to increase their recog- nition and revenue. The sad reality, Paletsky said, is that farming alone isn't going to sustain his 150 acres, but agritourism events on just 1 to 2 acres is supple- mental, and imperative. "If you rely just on farming, you've lost your farm," Paletsky said. A changing landscape Since 2012, Connecticut has lost nearly 8% of its farms and 13% of its farmland, according to U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture data. It's a trend mirrored nationally: Between 2001 and 2016, 11 million acres of U.S. farmland and ranchland were converted to urban and highly developed land use or residential land use, according to the Farmland Information Center. Connecticut farmers have re-imag- ined their land for other uses as well like clean energy, including solar fields. A recent survey of 175 Connecticut farmers by the American Farmland Trust found that 47% support solar fields on farmland. The state Department of Agricul- ture has said it supports the duality of farming and agritourism. Connecticut has about 5,500 farms that contribute more than $4 billion to the state's economy, according to the department, which promotes on its website agritourism attractions, including a petting farm in Simsbury, and the Thorncrest Farm in Goshen, which offers chocolate and home- made cheese samples. The website also highlights East Lyme's White Gate Farms, which allows visitors to learn about chickens and organic growing, and Creamery Brook Bison in Brooklyn, a property that features roaming bison. According to a 2015 study conducted by the UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, the total economic impact from local agricultural industry food sales and agritourism was $90 million, creating approximately 800 jobs in the state and almost $30 million in wages.

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