Estimates of Consumption of Locally-Grown Agricultural Products in Connecticut

The objective of this report is to provide a benchmark of the percentage of Connecticut residents’ expenditures on locally-grown agricultural products. To this end, two specific assessments are conducted: • Consumer expenditures accounted for by locally-grown food (fruit, vegetables, dairy, poultry, eggs, meat and fish); and • Expenditures accounted for by locally-grown nursery and greenhouse (green industry) products relative to all such expenditures in the state. This report was produced at the request of the Connecticut Governor’s Council on Agricultural Development (GCAD). An overarching goal of GCAD is to “increase the percentage of consumer dollars spent on Connecticut-grown fresh produce and farm products, including, but not limited to, ways to increase the amount of money spent by residents of the state on locally-grown farm products, by 2020, to not less than five per cent of all money spent by such residents on food.” Thus, a corollary objective of this report is to document a methodology that can be replicated in the future to assess progress towards this goal