Tour-Ganic Opportunity at the Hay House

The face of Connecticut's small farms is changing dramatically, and in no way for the better. This weekend, however, one local farmer hoping to raise voices to help turn the tide.

According to the Connecticut Farmland Trust, each year in Connecticut, a staggering 8,000 acres of farmland are lost to residential and commercial development, making Connecticut's rate of loss one of the most devastating in the country.

Residential and commercial developers are scooping up chunks of farmable land to raise homes and businesses; commercial farmers are edging out small farms by streamlining productivity and cutting costs. And while the produce they ship to the supermarket is cheaper and more vividly colored than what you might buy from a roadside stand, opponents say the ultimate price is much, much higher for health and local economic development.

Here and there, people are looking to reverse the trend. Buying local produce at farmers' markets has become one popular way of supporting local farmers while eating food that has traveled fewer miles to your dinner plate, but, even with the growing number of supporters of small, organic agriculture, area farmers are struggling to keep afloat.

Enter the small-farm advocate musicians Voodoo Fix, a self-described band that "brings together farmers, artists, community organizers, and the general public on organic farms and sustainable communities to raise funds for independent farmers nation-wide and creates awareness about the importance and necessity of 'going organic,' as well as the dangers and consequences of large-scale corporate farming."

The group's autumn Tour-Ganic will end its fall season here in Old Saybrook on Sunday,

Oct. 9, where Voodoo Fix and other bands (including Justin Good and Pete Onofrio), will congregate at the Hay House, the popular organic farm and artist's studio of longtime farmer and artist David Brown.

From 1 to 5 p.m., rain or shine, the musicians will perform to the crowd with the mission of raising as much money as possible to help Brown keep his tiny enterprise going-and it couldn't come at a better time, Brown says.

"It's incredibly hard work to keep a small, organic farm going with the objective of providing local, organic food to your community," Brown says. "Having to have units of produce for farmers' markets week in and week out, with very little help, will wear you out quickly."

Brown employs just a handful of people to assist with the planting, cultivation, and gathering of foods that the Hay House land produces each summer. Other than that, it's a sun-up to sun-down affair-and, as Brown lives "off the grid" with no electricity, once the sun goes down, the day's work ends.

Now, Brown participates in just two local farmers' markets and hosts his own farm stand on Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at the entrance to his farm at 155 Ingham Hill Road. There, visitors will find fresh-from-the field vegetables, homemade jams (including fig, blueberry, rhubarb, raspberry, raspberry rhubarb, grape, autumn olive, peach, and ginger rhubarb) fresh eggs from Brown's own chicken, and fresh flowers.

Flower sales have plummeted, Brown says, as shoppers opt to grab clusters of what he calls pesticide-laden roses imported from Columbia, Zimbabwe, Ecuador, and China at area supermarkets.

Big mistake, Brown warns.

"We are surrounding ourselves, our bodies, with pesticides and poisons of every kind, and now, even in the flowers we put on our kitchen tables. It's insanity," he said.

As for food, most shoppers prefer the dazzling supermarket shine of their apples, the perfect green ruffle of spinach leaves imported from China, and beef flown in from Canada, Mexico, Australia, and South America. The average apple, for instance travels 1,500 miles to the supermarket. Preservatives and pesticides ensure that they arrive there looking fresh, Brown said.

Fighting to keep it local, safe, and pesticide-free is what bands like Voodoo Fix do; a fraction of the funds they raise from events like Tour-Ganic shore up their equipment repairs. The rest, the vast majority of what's collected is handed over to the small, organic farmer who hosts the band.

Brown jumped at the chance to host such a party at his farm.

"Small agriculture is in more trouble in Connecticut than in any other state," says Brown. "We're losing farms and farmers to the 20- to 40-year-old demographic, who don't seem to care. We grow less of our own food than any other state in the U.S. we're talking food here, not a luxury."

Brown notes that in Connecticut, there is approximately a three-day supply of food at any given time. If the supply were suddenly cut off, after three days, people would have to look elsewhere for food.

It's a precarious place to be, "so it's in everybody's best interest to support local agriculture," Brown says. "It's about our independence from corporate control; it's about feeding ourselves and our families. It's also good to know who is growing your food."

The Oct. 9 bash will be a family-friendly, pot luck event. Participants are not required to bring food, and the menu is open to all kinds of dishes and drinks.

"Whenever I host an event here at the farm, like the annual Daffodil Brunch, people bring tons of great food and everyone eats until they're full," Brown says. "But it's never necessary to bring food. We'd rather have your presence than your food!"

Parking will be at the entrance to the farm at 155 Ingham Hill Road; volunteers will guide drivers to parking grounds. At that time, donations will be requested: $10 for adults and $5 for children. But, as Brown notes, no one, even if they have no money to give, will be turned away.

"More than anything, I want to raise awareness of local, organic farming and how critical it is to our survival," Brown said.

There is a large Buddhist stupa on the grounds that is open to the public. Visitors may circumvent the stupa, a customary practice of walking clockwise around the structure, wishing peace prayers for the world.

Some Tibetans from the local Tibetan community, longtime friends of Brown's, will be there, and Brown suggests bringing a blanket and chairs.

For more information, call Brown at 860-575-2387. For more details on Voodoo fix, visit http://thevoodoofix.com.