Paintings, photographs and a broadside depict agricultural infrastructure and activities in Connecticut places, from an 1849 scene of merino sheep pastured near the then-village of Derby to a twentieth-century view of a man using a cultivator in a Noank garden. The nationwide grange movement, which gave voice to farmers, prompted the creation of local grange organizations throughout the country, and grange buildings, such as the Deep River Grange Hall, were important places in the political and social life of communities. Agricultural fairs, such as the one held annually in Winsted, and the Cherry Brook Park fair in Avon, were pastimes that served the farming community as well as providing entertainment to the general public. To find more resources on agriculture in Connecticut and any related topics, use the topic headings and other keywords within records to extend your searches--terms such as “farming,” “pasture*,” “crop rotation,” (enclosing phrases in quotes, and using an * to allow for singular, plural or other forms), and the names of individuals, groups, or organizations. Exploring the collections or items to which individual items belong or of which they are a part can be another way to find more resources of interest.
