There’s plenty to see and taste at Agriculture Day at the Capitol today, but the baby chickens may be getting the most attention.
The more than a dozen chickens belong to Gary Proctor, of Bolton, president of Gourm Avian Farms LLC, and they were hatched Wednesday. The chickens played with one another as those attending Agriculture Day watched.
“How cute,” one woman said.
“People are just captivated by the chicks,” said Rep. Pam Sawyer, R-Bolton.
Proctor said four different kinds of chickens are on display. There are grey broilers, red broilers, white-feathered chickens and brown chickens. The eggs for the red broilers were directly imported from Italy, Proctor noted, explaining that those chickens will be used on the organic, specialty market.
While the grey, white and red chickens will be slaughtered when there are between 6 and a half and 10 weeks old, the brown chickens will be expected to lay eggs. New chickens are needed to keep his business going, Proctor said.
While the baby chickens may be captivating the audience, the other goodies available at the Capitol have not gone unnoticed. Apple wedges and cider are provided by the Connecticut Apple Growers. There are also aple syrup samples, cider donuts, and the School Nutrition Association of Connecticut is even handing out pieces of butternut squash cake.
And for those who like to plan ahead, the Connecticut Christmas Tree Growers Association is onhand to provide information.
Rep. Bryan Hurlburt, D-Tolland, is using Agriculture Day to draw attention to a bill he proposed. His bill would allow farmers to sell acidified food products they produce, such as pickles and salsa, directly from their farms or at a farmers’ market. It would also increase the number of turkeys and chickens that farmers can produce yearly, establish a Farm Training Jobs Program through the Department of Agriculture and redirect federally-collected milk fees to the Connecticut Milk Promotion Board for the purpose of promoting dairy farms and milk consumption.
Hurlburt expects the legislature’s environment committee to vote on his bill Friday.