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Agriculture in Connecticut
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Agriculture played a major role in the early growth of Connecticut as one of the original 13 colonies that would form the United States of America, particularly in the Connecticut River valley which provides fertile soil, temperate climate and easy access to markets. As the Industrial Revolution helped focus capital on mercantile centers in the 19th century, Connecticut farmers over time ceded their relative economic and political influence.
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In the 21st century, farming remains a relatively small but still significant industry in Connecticut, employing some 12,000 people as of 2010.[1] Breaking a pattern of steady decline in the number of Connecticut farms, between 2002 and 2012 the number of Connecticut farms increased by 43%.[2] A potential cause of this change in trend is increased consumer preference for locally sourced food, drawing some younger people to start up small farms.[3] Connecticut had nearly 6,000 farms with 437,000 acres of land as of 2012, producing $551 million in revenue that year.[4] In 2012, the total value of Connecticut farmland and buildings was $4.4 billion, down 3.5% from 2011.[5]
Connecticut farms received $141 million in federal subsidies between 1995 and 2012, including commodity programs, conservation payments, crop insurance, and disaster aid, ranking it 45th of the 50 states.[6]