CT Ranked #1 in Exceeding Goal in Year One of Affordable Care Act

An analysis of how states fared in the inaugural year of the Affordable Care Act, based on targets for enrollment developed by the Obama Administration, shows that Connecticut leads the list. According to the analysis published by the Wall Street Journal using data from the Department of Health and Human Services, Connecticut ranked #1, attaining 140 percent of the sign-up goal.  The only other states that did better than expected were Rhode Island (137%), New Hampshire (112%) and Florida (106%).

Rounding out the top dozen states, based on their performance compared with expectations, were Maine (92%), Idaho (90%), North Carolina (87%), Wisconsin (77%), Delaware (76%), New York (70%), Virginia (70%), New Jersey (69%), Michigan (69%).

The Journal reported that the lessons learned in the first roll-out of the health care program will be utilized when the next enrollment period begins on November 15.  The newspaper noted that more than eight million people got private insurance for 2014 through the law's insurance exchanges, which were plagued with technical problems when they opened in October 2013 but stabilized toward the end of the six-month sign-up period.

The next enrollment period runs through February 2015, and it is expected that marketing campaigns will stress testimonials from real people, more emphasis on deadlines, and an increased focus on in-person help.  Individuals can sign up at the federal website, healthcare.gov, to receive updates, focused by individual states.

Connecticut’s official health insurance marketplace, Access Health CT, is reminding state residents that Enrollment in Medicaid (HUSKY) and the Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) is open year round for eligible persons and families.

The website points out that individuals may also still be eligible to enroll in coverage throughout the year “if you or a member of your household has experienced a Special Enrollment Qualifying Life Event in the past 60 days or you will in the next 60 days.” Qualifying Life Events may include: child birth, adoption, death of a member of the household, marriage, loss of current health care coverage, loss or reduction in employer insurance contributions, new legal CT or U.S. residency, or U.S. lawful presence. Individuals that qualify may not need to wait until November to enroll, and can call 855-805-4325 for additional information.

Earlier this month, Access Health CT CEO Kevin Counihan took his Connecticut experience to Washington, accepting a position overseeing the federal health exchange.  Counihan joined the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services team as Marketplace Chief Executive Officer, where he will lead the federal Marketplace, manage relationships with state marketplaces and run the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, which regulates health insurance at the federal level.  He'll be in position when the next enrollment period gets underway later this fall.

“We are proud of what we’ve accomplished here—we’re a national leader with more than 280,000 people enrolled in affordable health insurance,” said Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman, Chair of the Access Health CT Board.

At the other end of the spectrum, according to the analysis, the states that fared well below expectations were Massachusetts (-87%), Oregon (-71%), Kentucky (-62%), Nevada (-61%) and New Mexico (-61%).

In-Person Explanations of New Health Insurance Program Outperform Web, Phone

In an era increasingly dominated by technology, a new study has underscored the importance of person-to-person assistance in a critical realm:  health insurance for chronically underserved populations. Consumers found it easier to get and use information from in-person assistance, and rated information from in-person assistance significantly better compared to information from a telephone helpline or the website of Access Health CT, Connecticut’s health insurance marketplace. In-person assisters played a crucial role in enrolling hard-to-reach, underserved populations, according to a study conducted by the Community Alliance for Research and Engagement at the Yale School of Public Health for the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut.

The evaluation examined the enrollment experiences of people from underserved urban areas of Connecticut, and sought to evaluate the outreach and enrollment process from the perspective of consumers and the in-person assisters and navigators who worked with them.  In-person assistance provided a critical service for consumers who were unable to navigate the helpline and website, the study found.

As trusted resources in the communities where they worked, assisters were clearly valued by their customers.  The study shows high rates of satisfaction overall with the enrollment process and emphasizes that in-person assistance was preferred by customers when they were asked to compare it to their interactions with the website or helpline.

Consumers mostly heard about AHCT through ‘word of mouth’ and ‘family and friends’.  Other sources of initial awareness, cited less frequently, were news programs, tv commercials, newspaper ads, library, internet and radio commercials. 

Satisfaction with the application and enrollment processes was high among survey participants. Ninety-five percent of respondents reported that the application and enrollment process was "definitely" or "somewhat" easy.  Twenty-nine percent reported some dissatisfaction with the amount of time required to enroll in a health plan.

The study found thta 90 percent would "definitely" recommend Access Health CT (AHCT), and an additional 9 percent would "probably" recommend AHCT.

During the open enrollment period of October 1, 2013, to March 31, 2014, the federal government was the major funder of in-person assistance, providing over $2.5 million in funding to the program.  The reported noted that “This level of funding is no longer available, yet, the need for assistance, both for the upcoming open enrollment period (November 15, 2014, to February 15, 2015) and beyond, is great.”  Plans for continuing in-person assistance, offered at store-front facilities, are under consideration according to published reports, with specifics uncertain.

Consumers most often wanted to learn about the cost of plans and the availability of financial assistance for insurance premiums. Of consumers who did not enroll, the most common reason was the need for more information, according to the study.

The report also noted that "because Connecticut is a national leader in the implementation of the US health insurance marketplace, the Connecticut experience may inform policy in other states and at the federal level."

CT One of 4 States to Require RN 24/7 in Nursing Homes; Study Finds Care Diminishes with Private Equity Ownership

In Tennessee, Rhode Island, Hawaii and Connecticut, nursing homes must have a registered nurse on duty 24/7.  A total of only thirteen states require 24-hour registered nurse coverage in some cases, but their statutes vary, and are somewhat less stringent than the four 24/7 states. As for the rest of the country, a registered nurse may be on premises for as few as 8 hours each day.

When U.S. News & World Report rated Connecticut’s nursing homes, one-third received the publication’s top rating.  About 32 percent of all nursing homes in Connecticut earned an overall five-star rating.  Areas of measurement included health inspections, nurse staffing, and quality measures.

That’s the good news.

Another recent study found that nursing homes under private equity ownership are cited for more deficiencies and have fewer registered nurses on staff than other for-profit facilities.

Findings published in the Journal of Health Care Finance earlier this year indicated that “Results suggest troubling shifts in nurse staffing patterns of private equity nursing homes particularly in the case of Registered Nurses.”

Investigators analyzed quality indicators for about 350 nursing homes in Florida for each year between 2000 and 2007. These facilities had a 9 percent higher pressure ulcer risk prevalence and reported 21 percent higher deficiencies compared with a control group of Medicare/Medicaid-certified, for-profit, chain-affiliated, non-hospital nursing homes.

The private equity nursing homes also had 29 percent lower registered nurse hours per-patient-day, the study authors determined.

The findings bore out the investigators' hypothesis that private equity ownership would correlate with diminished care quality. Previous research also has come to this conclusion, the authors noted.

The researchers recommended “transparency and accountability” to address concerns, concluding that “to ensure that nursing homes deliver high quality care and in instances where this expectation is belied, effective tools are available to punish the guilty and to compensate the victims.”

The study was done by researchers affiliated with academic institutions including the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Florida. Findings appear in the Journal of Health Care Finance.

MetroHartford, Connecticut Have Strong Linguistic Diversity; Plus for Global Marketplace

The number of languages spoken in Connecticut is considerably larger than most people expect.  That fact was highlighted in the recent MetroHartford Progress Points Report, prepared for the MetroHartford Alliance.  The linguistic diversity and global connections of the region are reflected in schools and employers, with more than 100 different languages spoken in homes of students attending schools throughout the region, according to the report. The “number of students with non-English home language” according to data on the website of the State Department of Education include Avon, 185; Bloomfield, 59; East Hartford, 1,124; Farmington, 474; Hartford, 8,371; Manchester, 335; Newington, 653; Simsbury, 228; South Windsor, 328; Tolland, 14; West Hartford, 1,876; and Windsor, 280.  The report indicated that 75 percent of English language learner (ELL) students are Spanish-speaking, 25 percent speak other languages at home.

Some of the languages spoken in the homes of students attending schools in the region may be unexpected.  In Manchester, for example, the lead languages are Spanish, Bengali, and Urdu, and the list also includes Twi/Fante, Telugu, and Gujarati.

The Hartford region consists of 750,000 people living in the city of Hartford, its surrounding inner-ring suburbs, and outer-ring and rural towns that have historical, economic or social ties with the city.

In 2013, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving gathered a group of regional stakeholders to develop a unique community partnership that came together to collect, analyze and disseminate a broad range of data, to place a spotlight on some of the central challenges and opportunities for the region. The goal was to share critical information “with residents and policymakers that will result in meaningful dialogue and propel action in our communities.”  Among the report’s areas of research is “increasing globalization through immigration,” using data from the state Department of Education (SDE).

Sponsoring organizations of Metro Hartford Progress Points include Capital Workforce Partners, Trinity College’s Center for Urban and Cultural Studies, the Capitol Region Council of Governments, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Hispanic Health Council, MetroHartford Alliance, United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut, Urban League of Greater Hartford and the City of Hartford.

Data on English-language learners and languages spoken in schools is based on reports retrieved from the SDE CEDAR Data Tables on English Language Learners, for both Number of English Language Learners (ELL) and Languages Spoken by Connecticut Students for the 2010-11 school year, the most recent data available.

Statewide, the variety of languages spoken by Connecticut students is considerable.  Nearly 73,000 students live in homes with a “non-English home language,” according to the State Department of Education. The leaders include:

• Spanish                        47,190
• Portuguese                  2,846
• Polish                          2,279
• Albanian                      1,263
• Chinese                       2,215
• Creole-Haitian             1,714
• Arabic                         1,159
• Vietnamese                 1,157
• Urdu                            1,131
• Russian                        811
• French                         762
• Gujarati                       738
• Serbo-Croatian            705

For the uninitiated, Gujarātī is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by about 46 million people in the Indian states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, and also in Bangladesh, Fiji, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Oman, Pakistan, Réunion, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  And, apparently, Connecticut - in the homes of 738 students.

Close to 100 million people around the world speak Urdu. It is the official language of Pakistan, a status and is also spoken and understood in parts of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Middle East.

The Progress Points partners include: Capital Workforce Partners, Capitol Region Council of Governments, City of Hartford, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Hispanic Health Council, MetroHartford Alliance, Trinity College Center for Urban and Global Studies, United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut , and the Urban League of Greater Hartford.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0zTQjsbNlw0

Teen Journalists Bring Attention to Issues of Cyber-Bulling, Underage Drinking, Social Media Stress

Connecticut teen girls drink at a higher rate than the national average, Connecticut’s teen drinking rate is higher than ever, cyber-bullying rates among girls in the state have increased, and moderate to high stress levels among a majority of teens nationwide – and how they respond to stress – are raising new concerns. Those are just some of the statistics highlighted this month by student journalists at the Connecticut Health Investigative Team (C-HIT), an investigative news website populated by veteran journalists focusing on health issues facing the state. In recent days, the high school students - participants in week-long journalism workshops at UConn, Quinnipiac and Yale universities led by C-HIT - have been producing news stories that target issues facing a demographic they are not only familiar with, but, in most cases, part of. The students are learning research methods intrinsic to journalism and the results of their work have been eye-opening. Some of the highlights:

With access to social media reaching an all-time high, cyber-bullying rates have gone up among girls in Connecticut, according to the latest Connecticut High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey. In Connecticut in 2013, cyber-bullying rates among girls were at 22.8 percent - more than 1 in 5 girls reported being cyber bullied. That was an increase of 2.7 percent from 2011. Unlike among females, cyber bullying among males dropped by .2 percent, to 12.3 percent in 2013.

According to statistics from the Bureau of Justice, 37 percent of teenagers reported being bullied at school and 52 percent said they were victims of cyber bulling. Cyber bullying is tormenting, humiliating, or harassing another individual using the Internet, cell phones, or other types of social media.

Of the young people who reported cyber bullying incidents against them, one in three reported that they experienced threats online. Well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyber-bullying occurs, the website says. Surveys show that girls are twice as likely as boys to be both victims and perpetrators of cyber bullying.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey of 2013 reported that Connecticut girls are more likely to drink than their peers nationally. In Connecticut, 8.5 percent of high school girls have driven drunk – which is higher than the national average of 7.8 percent. In Connecticut, 37 percent of high school girls surveyed said they had at least one alcoholic drink, at least one day before the survey, compared to 35.5 percent nationally.

Teen drinking is a problem nationwide, but it is more apparent among teenage girls. Roughly 90 percent of adults who have substance abuse problems now began as adolescents, according to Dr. J Craig Allen, the chief medical officer of Rushford Center, a Connecticut substance abuse and mental health treatment center. Overall, Connecticut’s teen drinking rate is higher than ever, with students experimenting with alcohol as early as 11 years of age -- nearly two years younger than the national average, according to the Rushford Center. Teens in Connecticut are consuming 26-28 percent more alcohol than their peers around the country, according to data from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

The availability of alcohol plays a factor in teen drinking. Other contributing factors in suburban areas include stress, with many teens placed under academic and other pressures on a day-to-day basis, experts suggest. A 2012 study by the Columbia University Teachers College found evidence that “affluenza,” described as a “metaphorical illness connoting hyper-investment in material wealth among upper-middle class families,” was a factor in negative behaviors including drug and alcohol use.

Nationally, teens are feeling stressed in and out of school, according to a survey done for the American Psychological Association. The survey showed that during the 2012-13 school year 55 percent of the 1,000 teens questioned said that they felt moderate stress during the school year, and 27 percent said that they felt “extreme stress.” Forty percent of teens said that stress is making them irritable or angry, and 36 percent said that stress made them nervous, angry or fatigued, according to the survey.

The survey also found that social media plays a role in teen stress. Thirty-nine percent of girls and 29 percent of boys questioned said that they do care how others perceive them on social media --- and that they need to keep up a persona on social media websites.

Of most concern to doctors in the survey findings was how teens dealt with stress. Forty-six percent of teens responded that playing video games was their way to manage stress, 43 percent said they surf the internet and only 37 percent said that they would exercise or walk.

This summer, C-HIT worked with 75 students in a 'newsroom' setting, with each student researching, reporting and writing his or her own story,  working with complex databases and conducting interviews.  The 2014 workshops were supported by organizations and individual donors including the Dow Jones News Fund, William Graustein, the Fisher Foundation, People’s Bank, the Knox Foundation, Quinnipiac University, and the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. The journalism workshops will be offered again next summer.

Photo:  Among the C-HIT students are (left to right) Mackenzie Brayman, a student at North Stonington High School; Julyanna Schreider and Shamoya Hanson, students at the Journalism & Media Academy, Hartford; Talon Cooper, a student at Hillhouse High School, New Haven; and Conner Fritchley, a student at Wilton High School. Information included in this article was researched and developed by the students for their news stories.

Additional investigative news stories by the students participating in the C-HIT summer journalism program can be seen at http://c-hit.org/

Summer Sandwiches: Lobster Roll is Connecticut Standout, Zagat Says

When Zagat’s decided to take a bite into the uniqueness of sandwiches during August (It is national sandwich month! Who knew?) – highlighting particularly noteworthy culinary endeavors in every state in the nation – the focus in Connecticut landed squarely on the lobster roll. Their review of “delicious regional sandwiches” found in each state had some overlap (Maine was also noted for its Lobster Roll, for example) and some regional favorites with a national following. And some surprises (see bison, reindeer, and marshmallow, below).

“While many consider the cold, mayonnaise-driven Maine lobster roll to be the quintessential version of the sandwich, the first lobster roll was actually a hot, buttered one served at a restaurant called Perry’s in Milford, Connecticut, in the 1920s,” Zagat’s explained. “This version is usually simpler, featuring just lobster meat, butter, and maybe some black pepper or lemon juice on a grilled, split-top hot dog bun, and served with potato chips or French fries. “

Cited by the Zagat survey was Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough in Noank, founded in 1947. “They take the simplicity of the Connecticut-style hot lobster roll and turn it into an art form. Their award-winning sandwich is made with a full quarter-pound of lobster meat (more than is found in the average small lobster) drenched in melted creamery butter and heaped onto a bun. It’s a sandwich so opulent, it’s well worth the trip to this far-off-the-beaten-path lobster pound to get one (not to mention the crowds you have to battle to order).”

Noteworthy in the region were the Italian Sub in New Jersey and the Italian Grinder in Rhode Island. (A distinction without a difference?) In Massachusetts, the Zagat selection was the Fluffernutter: “The delectable marshmallow fluff was in fact invented in Somerville, Massachusetts, in 1917. A man named Archibald Query sold it door-to-door before he sold the recipe, though who it is that thought to pair it with peanut butter on white bread is not as clear. Nevertheless, the fluff is celebrated to this day with a Fluff Festival in Somerville” in September.

New Hampshire was noted for its “Beer-Battered Fish Sandwich” and Vermont for the aptly-named Vermonter, a “ sweet-and-savory sandwich that typically includes either turkey or ham (sometimes both), sharp Vermont cheddar cheese, thinly-sliced green apples and honey mustard, although there are many different variations (including a decent number that come with cranberry mayonnaise instead of honey mustard).”

In case you were wondering, in Alaska it is the Reindeer Sausage Sandwich, in Wyoming the Bison Reuben, in Alabama the Chicken Sandwich with White Sauce, and in Arkansas the Fried Bologna Sandwich, and Mississippi the Elvis sandwich (peanut butter, fried banana and bacon). The Zagat’s  reporting (and tasting) was conducted for the August 2013 observance of National Sandwich Month, with a tip of the plate to the notable Earl of Sandwich.

CT Ranks 4th in Participation in Summer Meal Programs for Low-Income Children

Participation in Summer Meal Programs for low-income children increased in Connecticut in 2013 as compared with the previous summer, with 26.4 percent of low-income children receiving summer meals on an average day in July 2013. This represents an increase of 2.4 percent from the previous summer and ranks CT 4th in the nation for participation. The numbers are increasing nationally as well as in Connecticut. In 2013, for the first time in a decade, the number of low-income children eating summer meals saw a substantial increase year-over-year, according to a report by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). Nearly three million children participated in the Summer Nutrition Programs in July 2013, an increase of 161,000 children, or 5.7 percent, from July 2012.

FRAC measures the success of Summer Nutrition Programs at the national and state levels by comparing the number of children receiving summer meals to the number of low-income children receiving school lunch during the regular school year. The programs grew to serve 15.1 children for every 100 low-income children who participated in school lunch during the 2012-2013 school year, a modest increase from the 14.3 per 100 served in the 2011-2012 school year.

End Hunger Connecticut! noted that summer meals in Connecticut still only reached 26.4 students for every 100 low-income children who received regular school year school meals in the 2012-2013 school year. The number of sites increased slightly, from 217 to 236.

“When the school year ends, millions of low-income children lose access to school meals, including about 147,587 in Connecticut. It is in Connecticut’s best interest to ensure that such children have adequate nutrition during the summer so they stay healthy, active and return to school in the fall ready to learn,” Lucy Nolan, Executive Director, End Hunger Connecticut!, said. “While we are extremely proud of our place nationally, we still have a lot of work to do.”

Ranked just above Connecticut in participation were the District of Columbia, New Mexico and New York. Rounding out the top 10 were Vermont, Arkansas, Idaho, Delaware, Maine and Massachusetts.

To further increase the number of Connecticut children who participate in summer meals programs, End Hunger Connecticut! convened partners, community leaders and volunteers to distribute multilingual flyers, posters and other promotional materials at the start of the summer to promote Connecticut’s federally funded free summer meals program.

This year marks the third consecutive year that End Hunger Connecticut! has coordinated ‘blitz days’ in communities across the state to drive summer meals participation. Results of the initiative will be known later this year.

Increasing participation means more nutritious food for hungry children, but it also means more federal funding for communities, officials noted. If every state had reached the goal of 40 children participating in Summer Nutrition in July 2013 for every 100 receiving free or reduced-price lunch during the 2012-2013 school year, an additional 4.8 million children would have been fed each day, and states would have collected an additional $365 million in child nutrition funding in July alone, they point out.

The Summer Nutrition Programs, which include the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program, are designed to fill the food gap for the thousands of low-income Connecticut children who rely on school breakfast and lunch during the school year. These programs provide free meals at participating summer sites at schools, parks, other public agencies, and nonprofits for children under 18.

Connecticut families can find nearby summer meal sites at www.ctsummermeals.org, by calling toll free2-1-1 or by texting ‘CTMeals’ to 877-877.These tools are instrumental for families to find the closest free meals in their communities.

FRAC measures national summer participation during the month of July, when typically all children are out of school throughout the month and lose access to regular school year meals. The national report, including Connecticut data, is available online at www.frac.org

CT Slips from #18 to #21 in State Bikeability Comparison

Connecticut has dropped from 18th to 21st in the rankings of the bicycle-friendliest states, according to the League of American Bicyclists 2014 survey. Every year, the League ranks all 50 states on their bikeability, based on a mutli-faceted Bicycle Friendly State℠ questionnaire. They look at five categories: Legislation & Enforcement, Policies & Programs, Infrastructure & Funding, Education & Encouragement, and Evaluation & Planning.

Overall, the state received 40 out of 100 points, slightly less that the 40.9 earned a year ago, when Connecticut ranked 18th.

On a 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the highest grade, Connecticut received a 4 in legislation & enforcement, 3 in policies & programs, 3 in education & encouragement, and a 1 in infrastructure & funding.

The top-ranked states were Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Delaware, Oregon, Colorado, Maryland, Utah and California.  Connecticut, ranked 21st, was between Idaho and Tennessee. The top state in New England for bicyclists was Massachusetts, ranked 10th, according to the survey.

The survey highlights "10 signs of success" in analyzing each of the states.  Connecticut currently has 6 of the 10 in place, according to the survey report:  an active state advocacy group, Complete Streets policy, state bicycle plan, bicycle safety emphasis in the strategic highway safety plan, bicycle education for police, and a safe passing/vulnerable user law.

The Bicycle Friendly State℠ program is designed to establish best practices in states across the program.  In the 2014 survey, the least bicycle-friendly states were Alabama, Montana, and Kentucky.

The League, established in 1880, represents bicyclists in the movement to create
 safer roads, stronger communities, and a bicycle-friendly America. Through information, advocacy and promotion, the organization works to celebrate and preserve the freedom cycling brings to members everywhere.

CT Ranks in Top 10 for Lowest Total Carbon Emissions, Lowest Per Capita Emissions

Connecticut ranks in the top 10 among the states in both the lowest total state energy related carbon dioxide emissions and emissions per capita.  The state ranked second, tied with California and just behind New York, in the lowest emissions levels per capita.  In total state energy related emissions, Connecticut placed in a tie for tenth place. Greenhouse gas emissions for all sources were considered in compiling the data, according to Bloomberg.com, which published the rankings last month, based on 2011 U.S. Census population estimates and statistics from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.  Sources of emission include electric power production, industries, residential heating and transportation.

The lowest state emission levels per capita, in metric tons of carbon dioxide, are New York (8.1), Connecticut (9.2), California (9.2), Oregon (9.3), Vermont (9.6), Massachusetts (10.0), Washington (10.1), Idaho (10.1), Rhode Island (10.5) and Maryland (11.0).  The highest levels per capita were in Wyoming (112.6), North Dakota (79), Alaska (52.7) and West Virginia (51.7).

In total state energy related carbon dioxide emissions, by million metric tons, the states with the lowest emission levels are Vermont (6), Rhode Island (11), Delaware (12), South Dakota (14), New Hampshire (16), Idaho (16), Maine (17), Hawaii (19), Montana (32), Connecticut (33) and Nevada (33).

The states with the highest emission levels were Texas (656 metric tons), California (346), and Pennsylvania (245).

Connecticut Agriculture Growth Gains National Attention

Connecticut may be the third smallest state in the nation, but it has a large agricultural presence - which led to the state being featured recently by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on the federal agency’s website. Bucking the national trend, USDA reports, Connecticut farming has been growing for the past two decades. The state - based on the 2012 Census of Agriculture - has nearly 6,000 farms, which is a remarkable 60 percent increase from the 3,754 farms in Connecticut in 1982. At the same time, the state’s farmland acreage remained relatively stable, which means that the size of an average farm has been trending down, to an average of 73 acres.

More than 900 Connecticut farms harvested vegetables for sale in 2012, with bell peppers being the most popular crop. To meet the needs of East Coast homeowners and landscapers, in 2012, 880 of Connecticut's nurseries, greenhouses, floriculture and sod farms grew and sold almost $253 million worth of those crops.

In addition, Connecticut’s coastal area has hosted shellfish farms since Colonial times. In 2012, the state’s aquaculture industry sold nearly $20 million worth of seafood, primarily shellfish from Long Island Sound. There is livestock as well, USDA notes, with 774 farms in Connecticut raising cattle and calves. Most of the sales on the livestock end come from milk, however. In 2012, the state’s farms sold nearly $70 million worth of milk from cows.

Contrary to history and stereotype, in 2012 more than 25 percent of all Connecticut farms were operated by women as principal operators. That is an incremental increase from 23 percent in 2007. Overall, the 2012 Census counted more than 3,700 women farmers in the state.

Connecticut farmers have also stepped up their efforts to get agricultural products into consumers’ hands, the USDA report indicated. With the growing “buy local” movement, nearly a quarter of Connecticut farms market human food products directly to consumers. About 10 percent of the farms in the state now market their products directly to retail outlets such as restaurants, stores, and institutions; and at the same time, 218 of our farms participate in community-supported agriculture programs allowing local residents to partake in their harvest.

Although the USDA did not specifically mention the longstanding “Connecticut Grows” campaign from the state’s Department of Agriculture, it has served as a lynchpin for intensified efforts using technology.

The CT Grown Program was developed in 1986, during the administration of former Gov. William A. O’Neill, when the now-familiar green and blue logo was created to identify agricultural products grown in the state. During nearly three decades, the CT Grown Program has blossomed into a multifaceted campaign that promotes these products through a diverse array of avenues in local, regional, national and international markets.

It now features CT Grown producer listings and brochures, connections to farmers markets, the CT Seafood Council, CT Farm Wine Development Council, CT Food Policy Council, CT Milk Promotions Board, and other related councils and commissions.

More recently, the website www.buyctgrown.com was established as “a place to connect people who are ready to discover CT Grown foods and experience Connecticut agriculture.” buyCTgrown is a program of the non-profit CitySeed and receives support from our partners including UConn Extension, CT Farm Bureau, CT NOFA, and the CT Department of Agriculture.

The website’s “CT 10% Campaign” asks people to spend 10 percent of their existing food and gardening dollars on locally grown goods.” Individuals and businesses can sign up to “take the pledge” on the website, and will receive ongoing information about locally grown products.