Connecticut East Summer 2017

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The Other Connecticut

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Artwork by Jean-Paul Jacquet

CO N N E CTICUT ISSUE 2

S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 017

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54TH ANNIVERSARY (1963-2017)

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Connecticut East is published by Global Design & Publishing, LLC, a local agency operating in Connecticut for over twenty years. Owned by husband/wife team, Jim and Kelly Tourtellotte, life-long residents of northeastern Connecticut, Global Design is Connecticut-grown!

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CONNECTICUTEAST – featuring all things east of the Connecticut River.

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Recent state funding cuts have slashed Connecticut’s tourism/marketing budget therefore, fewer publications are being produced at the state level. The good news is that Global Design does not rely on state funding, we are private and we are local.

We enjoy traveling throughout New England and find that Eastern Connecticut is easily overlooked for a day trip or overnight. Eastern Connecticut has more to offer than first meets the eye, and we intend to tell our readers all about it. We want our audience to explore the region’s natural resources, awaken senses with arts & culture, savor outstanding culinary experiences, and treasure new favorite places. Connecticut East covers Windham, Tolland, Mystic and New London counties, plus attractions close enough for a day trip or overnight.

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Storrs Farmers Market/Paterson Photo

Featured in this Issue: 4 8 10 14 15 20

Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Artist Jean-Paul Jacquet, Pomfret Storrs Adventure Park, Storrs Great Country Timber Frames, Ellington Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme Summer Farmers Markets, Eastern Connecticut

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Mystic Aquarium’s sea mammals and fish delight and inform visitors of all ages; Its mission includes rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation.

BY CAROLINE SLOAT

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A white beluga whale twists and swims in his pool breaching from time to time to the delight of his audience. Has he figured out that he is swimming in the largest outdoor beluga whale habitat (that is not the ocean)—and one that is designed with windows so that he can also show off underwater? It’s not even likely that he’s aware that his home is a large marine mammal conservation center. This exhibit at Mystic Aquarium covers an acre with glacial streams, northern evergreens and crystal blue water modeled on the Arctic Coast. It is home to two whales, one of many groups of well-tended and well-studied marine resources for teaching visitors about the environment. And it’s all found in eastern Connecticut.

T

he visitors’ outdoor path passes through environments created for African penguins, harbor seals, Northern fur seals, and Steller sea lions.

As we arrived for our visit, the thirty-four penguins were clustered on a rock waiting to be fed. A staff member pulled whole fish from a bucket to offer each waiting penguin, calling out each handful for an intern to record. This was to assure that even the shyest penguin has a chance to gulp down some tasty anchovy, squid, or other fish. This level of care for the resident collection relates to the Aquarium’s mission as a teaching and conservation center. The marine mammals also receive weekly check ups from staff veterinarians who are specialists in the breeds.

Trainers on the staff describe their interactions with the animals to visitors and many volunteers engage visitors in their exploration of the outdoor and indoor exhibits.

The African penguin is among the world’s endangered species. In addition to appreciating the live penguins in their habitat, visitors participate in an encounter program in the penguin discovery zone to learn about the challenges penguins are facing and steps the Aquarium is taking. It is one of several partner agencies working with the South African Conservation Center for Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), an organization that rescues and rehabilitates seabirds following spill disasters and injury.

Each year a Mystic

A Pacific Northwest habitat is home to harbor seals, Northern fur seals, and Steller sea lions. Many in the now-healthy harbor seal “family” came together as injured creatures rescued and rehabilitated at the Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Clinic or partner facilities. Visitors can see the healing work in progress at the Animal Rescue Clinic to gain a sense of the procedures that have been developed. A rehabilitated manatee is a recent success story that ended with its departure for Florida where it could be released to the wild courtesy of the Coast Guard and other rescue and rehab Aquarium staff member visits their facilities to share insights and procedures. Eric, who was feeding the penguins, had recently returned from South Africa where he went to assist SANCCOB in rescuing and raising abandoned penguin chicks in preparation for release into the wild.

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organizations. Mystic Aquarium has been rescuing marine animals along 1,000 miles of the Northeastern coastline since 1975.

Working closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Fisheries, and other government agencies, the Animal Rescue Team responds to an average of thirty stranding calls each year.

The distress is frequently caused by entanglement in fishing nets and other ocean debris.

The outdoor tour also includes a seasonal exhibit, Birds of the [Australian] Outback, and the Marsh Trek, a boardwalk laid over a marshy area that has been expanded and is maintained in situ. Here the sharp-eyed summer visitor will see frogs and turtles exploring and sunning themselves among the

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The formal mission of Mystic Aquarium is “to inspire people to care for and protect our ocean planet through conservation, education and research.�

water lilies and cattails, along with Mallard ducks and an occasional blue heron.

The indoor galleries are an opportunity to explore underwater worlds of the deep ocean. Jellies and other colorful fish are displayed in a variety of tank formats designed for getting up close to the recreated habitats (or even in and under the displays).

The clown fish always attract a young crowd of Finding Nemo fans and for many this is the first opportunity to connect an icon of popular culture with actual living specimens.

Tactile experiences include water tables that contain sharks (small), sting rays, whelks, and crabs, all under the watchful care of a staff member or volunteer ready to assist, encourage, and answer questions.

While it might look as if there are marine animals aplenty, the conservation message is clear. One can learn about the Loggerhead Turtle, among the most endangered of sea turtles, and the work done by the Aquarium to contribute to their survival. Look carefully for Charlotte, the twisted turtle, who was hit by a boat. Aquarium staff is experimenting with ways to help her overcome her buoyancy issues by attaching weights that will allow her to swim without difficulty. Covanta Cove is a popular new interactive feature that highlights the impact of marine debris on wildlife.

It is a platform for discussion of this growing problem, approaches to addressing them that includes creating renewable energy, and suggestions of ways that individuals can take part in reducing this problem.

Complementing the main gallery are new staff-curated exhibitions and more to come in 2017. “Exploration: Wild” opened in 2015 in space occupied by the Titanic exhibit during the explorer Robert Ballard’s association with the aquarium. This interactive new exhibit focusing on conservation features desert, rainforest, Arctic, wetlands and open ocean environments. Colorful frogs surprise and delight in “ frogs!,” a close-up exhibit with the tag line, “this joint is jumping.”

Numerous live programs take place throughout the year involving both the animals and their trainers. Anyone planning a visit should refer to the Aquarium website for details about events taking place on the day of their visit (www.mysticaquarium.org/ events). Many educational programs, such as the trainers describing their work in the exhibition areas, are included in the price of admission. Special events during the summer include evening programs and Women in Science Day that features veterinarians and other staff members, along with women scientists from the area. Weekly summer camps for youth from 3 to 16 years of age require pre-registration and a separate fee, as

do other school and youth programs (refer to the fun and learning tab on the website).

Three theaters present films and live performances daily, including the sea lion show.

Visitor amenities also include a café and gift shop. Anyone inclined to visit the aquarium often (while also supporting its mission) often might want to take advantage of the membership program.

The formal mission of Mystic Aquarium is “to inspire people to care for and protect our ocean planet through conservation, education and research.” The Aquarium has evolved and grown since its founding in 1973, but its philosophy remains unchanged. By

providing close-up experiences in the natural world, children and adults will understand that the responsibility of its protection is a task to be shared. From the youngest pre-schooler in Sea School to the professionals mentoring undergraduates, the development and sharing of knowledge is a practice that is highly valued.

A visit to Mystic Aquarium may begin with seeking diversion. But this informal learning is essential to promoting wider and deeper discussion about sea animal care and preservation and other species that require knowledgeable advocates and supporters.

Photos courtesy of Mystic Aquarium

8 5 main

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JEAN-PAUL JACQUET

BY NANC Y P. WEISS

J

ean-Paul Jacquet, or JP as he is called, is the perfect mix for an artist. He is both exotic and grounded, fanciful and practical. As the Artist in Residence at Pomfret School since 2000, he works with high school age students in a studio classroom brimming with art.

As the students paint, sculpt, stretch the bounds of their imaginations and incorporate new images, JP works with them, side-by-side, suggesting, prodding, challenging, while also working on his own pieces. The atmosphere sizzles with the energy of collaboration and artistic expression, while also providing an environment where students hone their skills.

Few artists are as productive as Jacquet in meeting the academic demands of his job as a teacher while also creating new works that brighten commercial properties in the community and find homes in private collections. His dedication to his work is rooted in his background. He was born in Nigeria to a French father, who had moved to Africa to operate a sawmill, and an American mother, who was working in the country in the Peace Corps. When JP was 7 years-old, the family, which included three younger brothers, moved to Bordeaux and later to Danville, Vermont.

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JP eventually adjusted to life in rural Vermont and attended Syracuse University, where he planned to major in architecture or illustration. A Year Abroad Program in Florence changed everything for him. He found that painting and drawing were truly

the twin passions of his life and he determined to follow them. After graduation, he moved back to Europe and travelled from Norway to Florence and lived in Paris for a short stretch. Then came a fork in the road, something that happened quite often to Jacquet. He planned to go to live in Greece, but opted to go to New York City instead.

He took a job as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, working

12 hours a day, three days a week guarding a collection of plates in the basement of the venerable institution. There were few visitors, so armed with his sketch book, he whiled away the hours drawing. He found a job as the Assistant Art Director to Trump Shuttle magazine which led to a position at Modern Bride.

By 1992, Jacquet needed a change and moved to an artist’s loft in Providence, RI, where he began painting and sculpting. For the next 8 years, he lived a life of great ‘inspiration’ creating numerous works, while employed at the psychiatric ward at Butler Hospital. A friend told him about a position at Pomfret School where they were looking for a working artist not an arts educator to run their program.

After visiting the school and the community, in his 1963 hippyfied VW bus, he decided to take it. Seventeen years later, he is married to Elizabeth Jacquet, the Assistant Director of the Library, and has two children, Remy, and Coco.

In the classroom, Jacquet works alongside students and brings in artists such as Nick Swearer and Nick Hansen to display their work. Jacquet creates sculptures for

Rhode Island and then as part of the Y2K Big Cyprus tour of the band PHISH, part of the sculpture mile in Madison, CT and at the firehouse in Newport, RI. One plane rests in a tree near Grove Street in Putnam.

“I keep getting more excited about the outside community,” Jacquet said. Noting that he was involved in doing the conceptual drawing for outdoor and indoor seating at Victoria Station in Putnam. He created a whimsical map of downtown Putnam to promote various community events.

For JP Jacquet, art and life are intertwined. The living room of the home he shares with his family on the Pomfret School campus is filled with his art and that of his friends and former students. His work enlivens area restaurants and, with his ever present sketch book, he is ready to draw the next

sites on campus and has established a gallery, PS Art Gallery, in shared space with Silver Circle Gallery in Putnam. In the space students get real world experience in hanging the shows, pricing their art and learning about marketing.

For students who want to immerse themselves in art in the summer, JP and his wife offer L’Atelier au Chateau in France in the Champagne region. Twelve students live and work together under the tutelage of Jacquet and Bud Cook for two weeks. An adult program is also offered, which includes gourmet meals.

Almost as soon as Jacquet moved to Pomfret, he saw places for art. He approached Barry Jessurun, President of Green Valley Hospitality, which includes the Vanilla Bean Café in Pomfret, 85 Main in

Putnam, and Dog Lane Café in Mansfield.

In 2002, Jacquet did two panels of a mural for the Vanilla Bean Café as an art project.

In 2002, Jessurun commissioned him to do two more. The mural, done in cartoon style, features local people dining at the café.

“JP’s work adds vibrancy to a space.

Each time we opened a restaurant, we wanted him to be part of it. The mural at the Vanilla Bean Café was the beginning. At 85 Main, he did the Raw Bar mosaics and a mural. When we opened Dog Lane Café in 2012, we wanted something unique and fun.

JP’s work exactly conveys the right image,” Jessurun said.

As an artist, Jacquet likes to paint, draw and sculpt. He keeps a sketch book close at hand so he can capture the images from the everyday that inspire him. He appreciates

the looseness of the artist, Basquiat. He has just finished a large mural for a private home and while he appreciates commissions, he never markets his work. A series of 6 fiberglass paper airplanes were first seen at the Convergence Art Festival in Providence,

idea, find the next inspiration or encourage the next student with his vision and passion for life and art.

For more information: www.jeanpauljacquet.com www.drawinginfrance.com

Rendezvous with friends in 2017.

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A

dventure in the Trees: Storrs Adventure Park

Everyone knows what zip lines are but what’s an “aerial forest park?” Storrs Adventure Park is one of just a few places on the East Coast where you can traverse pathways though the treetops. The park is designed for anyone age seven and up to have fun at your own comfort level, challenge yourself, and be totally safe while exploring a self-guided climbing park in the New England woods.

BY CRIS CADIZ

S

everal years ago, longtime eastern Connecticut residents Lynn Stoddard and Chris Kueffner had the opportunity to purchase a piece of forested property on Route 195 in Storrs, located on the main route between Interstate 84 and the UConn campus. They were eager to keep the forest in tact. As Chris explained, “We needed a way to make money but not sacrifice the land in the process.”

Long-time environmentalists, the couple pondered options that could make use of the natural environment, not destroy it.

“We thought about doing a summer camp, with orienteering, tree identification, map drawing, a little farming, but there’s so much involved in that,” says Chris. But, establishing a summer camp was also something they didn’t know anything about. “The idea for an adventure park dropped in our laps and we said, ‘Wow that’s a really great idea, but how do you make it happen?’ It was by luck we came across Outdoor Ventures.”

Outdoor Ventures Group (OVG) is based in Southport, CT. They build Aerial Forest Parks (AFP), an outdoor adventure experience they discovered in Switzerland, learned how to design and build, and brought to the United States. AFPs are popular in Europe but a fairly new concept here. When OVG partnered with Lynn and Chris in 2013, Storrs Adventure Park was their third project.

Today, OVG has 8 parks in 6 states, mostly on the east coast. The company is committed to offer outdoor fun through activities that build strength, confidence and good health in a beautiful natural environment—all values important to Lynn and Chris.

“The adventure park idea was an opportunity to use and support the land but not

develop it,” says Lynn, when they heard about aerial forest parks. “It had the benefit of getting people out into the woods, getting them outside,” adds Chris. “That’s important. Less screen and more trees.” OVG had the expertise and infrastructure; Lynn and Chris had the land and the ambition, so the partnership began.

Although they all follow the same model, each park is unique because each property is unique, with different terrain and trees. According to the OVG website, “The parks are built and operate with virtually no negative environmental impact and the trees (our most important assets) are well cared for and protected.”

Storrs Adventure Park has its own local arborist, who inspects the health of their trees at least twice a year. “He’s critical because it’s all about safety,” explains Lynn, who says it’s reassuring to see their property after a big storm. “You will see all the branches on the ground and in the roads, but at the park, there is practically nothing because he has trimmed everything that was dead before it fell.”

The park’s courses consist of platforms located at various heights in the trees connected by different types of “bridges” made from cable, wood, rope and zip lines. Visitors wear safety harnesses with a special two-lock system attached to safety lines so they cannot fall. They move from platform to platform, facing various challenges and obstacles along the way. Before venturing onto the trails, climbers receive an interactive orientation and practice session with the park’s experienced and helpful staff. Although courses are self-guided, staff are available at a moment’s notice to answer questions or assist climbers.

Storrs Adventure Park features 7 trails, 15 zip lines, 4 difficulty levels, and over 100 challenge bridges. Designed like a downhill ski mountain, you get to choose where you go and the level of challenge. From the main platform in the center of the park, 7 separate trails head up into the tree tops, and each is color coded indicating the difficulty of the trail.

When Lynn and Chris began their endeavor, neither had experience with ropes courses. In fact, Lynn was afraid of heights!

Not any longer, though. “I got a lot of prac-

Lynn Stoddard and Chris Kueffner

tice!” she says. “It’s cool. There are different levels, it’s like a ski slope. Ours is designed for people to get a comfort level but push the envelope, and you’re learning problem solving and gaining confidence.”

“The ‘ski slope’ design was a piece of their model we really liked,” says Chris. “You go up the ski lift, there are different points to start, and you pick the place that’s appropriate for your skill level.” In their research on creating an adventure park, Lynn and Chris visited other venues to see how they did it.

“Some places you get on and it keeps getting harder and by the time you get to the hardest one, you’re whipped,” says Chris. “And that’s a bad place to be tired. This model made a lot of sense to us.”

According to Lynn and Chris, all kinds of people visit Storrs Adventure Park, including families, couples on dates, girlsnight- out groups, birthdays parties, Scout troops, school groups, and more. “There are people who use it as their gym,” Chris

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says. “They get a season pass and it’s a real workout. Think of it like skiing or golfing.

You play the same hole, the same course, but it’s not the same every time. You learn more every time. You can try different things, do it a different way.”

“Our most frequent customer uses it as a training program,” says Lynn. “I don’t know how many times she’s been there. She’s in her 60s, I think, and has a personal trainer in the winter to coach her to do the black course when the park opens.”

“It’s rewarding to hear people talk about their experience. How it felt to do something they might have doubted [they could] and then to be proud of their accomplishment,” Chris remarks.

“It’s challenging. You’re up high!” “It’s good for families because the kids feel like they are empowering their par12

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ents…and they are!” Lynn says. “And all the phones go away and they actually talk to each other!” adds Chris.

“It’s a great activity for grandparents. They love it. They want to get the kids outside.

They know the kids are having fun and they are safe.”

2017 marks the fifth season for the Adventure Park at Storrs. Every year they have added an element or made some changes to keep it fresh for the many repeat visitors. Future plans include educational elements and ground activities for children under seven. “Ultimately, we might build a lower course for younger kids,” says Chris.

Every season they offer special events to mix things up, such as summertime “Glow Nights,” with music, lights that flash, and other atmospheric fun. Night climbing is also popular. The courses are illuminated

by small LED Christmas lights. “Any time you’re night climbing, it’s like you’re in a totally different place,” says Lynn.

Storrs Adventure Park is open April to November, rain or shine. High winds or thunderstorms are the only time they might close. Hours of operation vary from spring to summer. Visitors can just show up but they can also reserve online so they don’t have to wait. Groups of 10 or more must make reservations. Birthday parties are popular, and the park will host its first wedding this spring.

Snacks and drinks are for sale, but picnic tables are available for visitors bringing their own food. There’s even a free Adventure Park shuttle for students from UConn on Friday nights.

Events for 2017 include a “90’s Themed Glow Night” on May 20th, featuring 1990’s music, dress, prizes; a Hawaiian Luau Night on June 24th , with Hawaiian music, snacks, prizes; and Water Wars! on July 22nd – a mid-summer cool-off event with water

games, water guns, and water balloons.

Chris and Lynn are very happy with how their entrepreneurial venture has turned out.

“We are definitely unique for this area,” says Chris. “People say, I’ve been on zip lines. Well,

you really haven’t been to a park like ours… people get the zip line part, but the climbing part is different.” They both enjoy climbing a few times a week in the summer. “We love it,” says Chris. “Once its open and it’s light enough, I can go after work and still climb. I see how things are going, check in with staff, and have some outdoor time.”

“We’re not there every day but we are very emotionally involved,” says Lynn. “We are the face of the park to the community – not essential for day-to-day operations, but we’re very much in touch with it, and we’re there a lot on weekends. It’s really fun!”

“We wanted to save this land and improve it,” says Lynn. “It’s really important that we’re maintaining the forest and the elements are not destroying the trees. We’re bringing people out to appreciate nature. Some people have never even climbed a tree before. There’s an element of self-improvement and pushing yourself in a safe environment with coaching and comfort. There are so many things about it that match our values. It’s a perfect fit.”

The Adventure Park at Storrs is located at 2007 Storrs Road (RT 195) in Storrs, CT. For more information, contact (860) 9460606 or visit StorrsAdventurePark.com.

Photos courtesy of Storrs Adventure Park

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Inspiration

Rocky Mountain

The west is making an east coast appearance in Tolland, thanks to Great Country Timber Frames of Ellington. Eastern Connecticut’s wooded hills make an ideal setting for a lodge-style timber frame home typically found in the mountains of Colorado or Wyoming. The new Bald Hill residence in Tolland sits at the highest point in town and was designed with an eastern view, filling the spacious open floor plan with morning light. The house features massive exposed beams, soaring cathedral ceilings, a fieldstone fireplace, and reclaimed barn board accents. Combined with bright kitchen cabinetry and granite countertops, it gracefully combines a rustic feel with modern design. What is really special about this 3,800 sq. ft. house, however, is how it was built.

C

BY CRIS CADIZ hris Skinner is vice president and co-owner of Great Country Timber Frames, a three-genera tion family business started by his grandfather and father in Windsor Locks.

“Thirty years ago we started selling nice backyard sheds and gazebos,” says Chris.

“Over the years we evolved into building custom garages and barns and, in the past 5-6 years, to custom homes. “A few years back we made a big investment in a CNC (computer numeric control) machine, which cuts all of our timber frame products, from every drilling to every mortise and tenon.

Now we are shipping our timber frame kits all over the United States, even recently to Belgium. With the accuracy of this machine it has made us a premier post and beam builder, whether it’s a barn, a home, or a pavilion.”

The massive timber frame for the Bald Hill residence in Tolland was cut on a CNC timber processor, which is, according to Marketing Engineer Erik Koehler, one of two such machines in the country.

“It creates the most precise, complex, and authentic joinery available today,” says Erik.

Using this high-tech machine allows Great Country Timber Frames to use historically authentic and aesthetically beautiful building techniques with excellent precision and speed. “Our machine helps us with accuracy, production and volume, but we pride ourselves on offering the most authentic timber frames and joinery,” says Chris.

“There’s not one visible fastener in any of our structures. From oak pegs, to wood-to

wood connections, and many different truss designs with different kinds of joinery.”

Chris describes a simplistic version of the CNC work flow. A designer draws all components of the building in a CAD (computer aided design) 3-D model, which is exported to the CNC machine. The machine reads this file and the human operator loads all the timbers that the machine tells him to.

Then the machine cuts every piece through the entire process. “Every frame is unique,” says Chris, “Every piece that comes off the machine gets hand finished, packaged and shipped off to the job site.”

They use new wood because the CNC machine needs precise measurements to make accurate cuts. “Much of the reclaimed wood varies in dimensions,” says Chris.

“There are a number of ways we can make a frame look aged, such as a stain we’ve mastered that makes a frame look old. We can also ‘chain saw rough’ the beams to give it that hewn look. A couple of clients have actually had us torch the wood to make it look older.”

Great Country Timber Frames does use historic wood as design elements in their projects. The Bald Hill residence features reclaimed barn board both inside and out. The

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entrance is a timber frame portico with rusty metal roof and graceful arched braces—a Great Country Timber Frames signature element. Outside design features include reclaimed wood accents, stone and cedar shakes, and standing seam rusty metal roofing. Inside, oversized Douglas Fir timbers and hammer beam trusses form a cathedral ceiling 27 feet high at the peak. An antique chestnut beam is used as a mantel, framing a stone fireplace. “We feel that it’s textures that make a project on the exterior,” says Chris.

The Bald Hill design was inspired by the clients’ admiration for a Jackson Hole-style ski lodge. The final design is usually a collaboration between the client and the company.

“We want each project to be unique,” says Chris.

For this eastern Connecticut project, Great Country Timber Frames handled the design, engineering, and raising of the massive timber structure with their skilled team.

The business employs 55, including 3 full time designers, 2 engineers and 24 timber framers. “We can do everything in-house,” Chris explains. “In New England and New York, we do majority of the build. Further out, we can send our crew to raise the frame and have a contractor finish the project.”

They have sent crews as far as Wyoming to raise a frame. “Locally, we do a weather-tight shell plus finish the exterior and the client hires a contractor for interior finishing.”

Great Country Timber Frames also does custom commercial projects.

One of Chris’s favorite builds is the Mad River Barn in Wakefield, VT. They built a 40x100 custom “clear span” wedding pavilion, which means there were no support posts down the middle. “Last week our crew raised a 70-foot octagon, one of the largest clear span timber frames in New England.”

setts, Rhode Island, New York and New Hampshire every single week building a carriage barn at your average client’s home.

That’s rewarding as well. People are going to spend a decent amount of money on a post and beam barn, so they save and wait and when it’s done a lot of our clients turn into friends.”

www.GCTimberFrames.com, Ellington CT Those interested in a custom post & beam house should contact Great Country Timber Frames to meet and discuss a design.

Although these upscale projects are impressive, the Skinner family business has also stayed true to its smaller scale roots.

“My grandfather started out selling storage sheds and gazebos—things we delivered in one piece. We still do that,” says Chris.

While Great Country Timber Frames focus is post and beam barns, garages and homes, the Skinner family owns a sister company called The Barn Yard, which features sheds, storage buildings and garages plus pavilions, pool house, gazebos and the like. “We deliver 15 buildings a day, five days a week throughout New England,” says Chris of these smaller structures.

With locations in Ellington and Bethel, The Barn Yard showcases over 100 sheds, pool houses and other smaller buildings.

Clients can pick a stock design on display or build custom. For larger structures, including barns and garages, they offer models to choose from, but also do 100% custom work. “We offer the full array,” says Chris. “We draw people from all over New England. For people who are a little farther away, it’s worth traveling to one of our showcase locations. We treat our clients like family.”

Great Country Timber Frames headquarters is also in Ellington, CT, the Skinner family’s hometown. “Today we have people flying from around the world coming to visit our operation in Ellington,” In 2015, they built this 12,000+ square foot manufacturing and design facility where the post and beam structures are designed and the timber frame components are manufactured.

“Volume wise, our number one build is a carriage barn building,” Chris says.

“The design features the look of barn built a hundred years ago, with beautiful exposed timbers and joinery and curved braces inside. We are in Connecticut, Massachu-

www.thebarnyardstore.com Showcase locations in Ellington and Bethel are open 7 days a week, 9-5, and 10-4 on Sunday. In Ellington there are five custom structures on display, including a post & beam barn. In Bethel, they also have custom structures on display, and a post & beam barn. Check out their Bethel office, designed to look like a bank in the old west.

Photos courtesy of GC Timber Frames

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Florence Griswold Museum The Florence Griswold Museum delights all the senses, especially in spring and early summer.

Comprised of the Florence Griswold House, the Krieble Gallery, and a number of outbuildings open on a seasonal basis amid a sea of green lawns on the banks of the shimmering Lieutenant River, the property is the perfect place to visit for art lovers, history buffs and garden enthusiasts. Lunch at CafĂŠ Flo, created by the Gourmet Galley, is tasty and artistically presented on the shady porch overlooking the river. Visitors are certain to find something a bit surprising to enjoy no matter what their particular interests.

BY NANC Y P. WEISS

T

he historic home, painted a cheerful shade of yellow, stands at 96 Lyme Street, Old Lyme as it has for nearly two hundred years. Purchased by Captain Griswold for his bride, Helen Powers in 1841, the house was a family home until it became a boarding house. Miss Florence (1850-1937), a cultured and resourceful woman, opened it as a business in 1899. Fortunately for her and for the rest of us, her clientele was some of the most important American painters of the beginning of the twentieth century. It was

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truly the home of American Impressionism.

The house was closed in 2005 and renovated to include climate control. Today it captures the spirit of its heyday,1910, when the colony was the center of Impressionism in America. Childe Hassam and many of the most well-known artists were here at that time living and working at the Griswold House.

The story began in 1899 when Henry Ward Ranger, an American tonalist painter, stepped off the train and knocked on Miss

Florence’s door. He was looking for a place in the country to paint and Lyme with its rural charm and easy access to passenger trains was the perfect spot. Ranger was a tonalist painter. He recruited other artists and under the warm hospitality of Miss Florence, the colony flourished.

A visit to the dining room, where boarders painted murals on the wall to immortalize their time together, gives a hint of the talent and whimsy that permeated the property.

Step inside any room in the house and one

can almost hear the easy laughter of the artists enjoying each other’s company on warm summer evenings. On the second floor, once bedrooms, there are changing exhibitions of paintings of the era.

Between the Florence Griswold House and the Krieble Gallery is a delightful garden.

Termed a ‘grandmother’s garden’ because of its easy, flowing, informal style, the plots were restored to what they would have been in 1910 by Landscape Historian, Sheila Wertheimer in 1999. Every Friday a group of

The house, the gallery and grounds offer children and adults a chance to explore their own artistic interests. Children can attend Art Colony Camps with sessions offered from late June until mid-August. A program called, Intensive Mini Camp for Middle School Students, runs from 10-3pm on July 5-7th.

Summer programs for adults and families include a Mothers’ Day Event and Book Talk on May 14th from 2-3:30pm, Plant Sale on May 19th from 9-3pm, Garden Fest from

dedicated volunteers, the Garden Gang, work to maintain the gardens, which are among the fifteen historic gardens open to the public. See www.cthistoricgardens.org for details on events on the 4th Sunday in June to celebrate historic gardens across the state.

The Robert & Nancy Krieble Gallery, a modern, linear structure that stands parallel to the Lieutenant River, was built in 2002.

Designed by Centerbrook Architects, the building features the Museum’s collections and rotating exhibits. This summer, from June 3-September 17, Flora/Fauna- The Naturalist Impulse in American Art, will be on view.

The Gallery is brimming with important pieces of art, many from the collection of the Hartford Steam Boiler Company. When the company was sold, the original owners wanted the works to stay in Connecticut. Their gift in 2001 of 157 oil paintings, 31 works on paper and 2 sculptures bolstered the existing collection and secured the place of the Florence Griswold Museum as one of the most important Impressionist art institutions in the world.

June 9-18th, and Midsummer Festival on July 29th from 8-5pm when the arts, music and food combine to celebrate the community.

Discovery Sundays are offered every Sunday from April 2nd-September 24th.

Families and individuals are invited to watch a brief demonstration of Impressionist painting, collect all the materials to use for pleinair painting and then to settle in to paint the landscape around them.

As Miss Florence is quoted as saying: “So you see, at first the artists adopted Lyme, then Lyme adopted the artists, and now, today, Lyme and art are synonymous.”

The Florence Griswold Museum can be reached at: 860.434.5542 or at FlorenceGriswoldMuseum.org for more information.

Photos courtesy of Florence Griswold Museum

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From Summer Farmers Markets to your table...bon appétit.

BY CAROLINE SLOAT

S

Connecticut Grown

ummer farmers markets are reopening across the region in May and June.

Eagerly awaited by growers and customers, their return is the result of intensive work by growers and the market masters to prepare for opening day and a season-long run. Farmers Markets have been fixtures in eastern Connecticut for many years: fourteen for Coventry; twenty-three for Storrs; ten for Lebanon; twenty for Stonington and thirty for Northeast Connecticut. Markets have grown and adapted: their management has evolved, acquired new sponsors, moved to new locations, and adopted new ways of serving their customers. The best news: they are encouraging new growers to get involved in this form of direct-to-consumer marketing.

It’s possible to find a market virtually every day of the week, but the weekend markets generally offer more features, such as food trucks and entertainment, along with the produce.

CT Grown is a program of the Connecticut Department of Agriculture to promote agriculture statewide, including farmers markets. Markets with certified CT Grown vendors may participate in the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)-of the Florence Griswold Museum and Photo mostcourtesy now accept WIC and Senior Low 20

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Income Vouchers. Some also accept SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) cards. The department offers grants to support development. For example, by funding Putnam’s Riverview Marketplace Pavilion, a partnership between the Northeast Connecticut Farmers Market and the town of Putnam. The Coventry Farmers Market has a grant in 2017 for programs to teach using

the produce “in ways that make sense and are easy to understand.”

Farmers markets help local agriculture flourish in the community. Farm stands are becoming a thing of the past and growers increasingly meet their customers at the market. Each market has its own identity, but all harness the entrepreneurial spirit of

producers who enjoy meeting their customers. Conversations about how the produce is grown and how to use it are major benefits of shopping the market. Behind the scenes, staff and volunteers work to make each market day run smoothly. The organizational work is done by local market masters and volunteer boards; some have municipal sponsors, others rely on local businesses.

Large or small, the markets enable farmers to sell what they grow close to home and consumers to buy the freshest produce.

Each market maintains a website with a list of vendors and a place to register for its weekly e-mail. Many use Facebook and Instagram to communicate directly with their customers.

The Northeast Connecticut Farmers Market holds weekday markets in several communities.

“Agriculture is part of the area’s history and attracts people to move here.” George McCoy, the market association president, was drawn by the old farmsteads, open space, and rural charm. When he relocated from Southern California to New England for work, he settled in Woodstock and five years later started farming on one acre. He has recently added two acres in to his first one. He grows lettuces, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers,

squash, corn, peas, green beans, radishes, carrots, cauliflower, and potatoes for the market. When the season opens, there are two markets each week served by farmers who have greenhouses and hoop tunnels and can start growing in February. By midJune more farmers have produce to sell, and “then it takes off.” The other three sites open in mid- to late June and then “July and August are awesome.”

Putnam’s Saturday market is sponsored by the local Department of Economic and Community Development (like Lebanon’s). It started when the pavilion was new as a place to foster artisans as well as farmers and sellers of traditional food products.

Most farmers come for the entire season bringing a variety of just-picked produce.

Like other markets, the schedule is rain or shine, but the “pavilion is an incredible blessing for farmers to be able to display even if it’s raining,” says Market Master Renée Lasko.

The vendors are a mix of well-known family farms who have been at the markets for years and recently established growers, “who are relatively young and started farming as a hobby or from love of the land,

at the spring markets. The market draws many customers from UConn who are new to the state or to the country. It is a place to learn about Connecticut—and where these people interest farmers to grow crops such as callaloo, a Caribbean green, and Asian varieties of radishes and lettuces. Klamatsuna, a Japanese leaf vegetable, and Celtuce, a

ters of The Farmers Cow, egg farms that are home to two million chickens, and the state’s largest wholesale nursery, in all, 10,000 acres of agriculture. Lebanon is Connecticut’s epicenter in the amount of farmland and preserved farmland.” Chester sought to create a community event to showcase agricultural products in the town

and are managing to make a go of it. But they are very small scale and can thrive in the direct-to-consumer market.” Vegetables, fruits, meats, and cheeses can all be found at the market weekly, with a different schedule for guest vendors. At least one 2016 guest vendor will be fulltime this year: “The owner started by growing herbs and then began experimenting with ways to use them in baked goods and discovered that she loved selling at the markets.”

Kathleen Paterson, Storrs Farmers Market’s part-time market master, appreciates being “in a community that really supports its local agriculture.” In 2016 she calculated that eleven miles was the average distance from farm to market. Closest is the Future Farmers of America chapter at E.O. Smith High School that grows plants to sell

Chinese lettuce are now grown by request.

Like others, this is a producer-only, CT Grown-only market with fulltime vendors who offer “standard produce,” fruit, vegetables, chicken, pork, lamb, baked goods, hot sauce made with local produce, maple syrup, honey, and goats milk cheese. Guest vendor slots are opportunities to sell specialty items and “also work for a new farm to learn how to market before committing to a while season. We want to encourage people to begin farming,” says Paterson. Because the Storrs market is in the late afternoon, there are also two food trucks available at each market.

The UConn Dairy Bar makes regular visits.

Lebanon’s Farmers Market was established by Town Planner Phil Chester in 2007. “In Lebanon economic development is agriculture,” he says. “It is the headquar-

and region. The market also helps get people out to take advantage of the historic sites on the green. There are four museums; for two nights during the summer there is a Revolutionary War encampment with participants living in tents; and a an antiques fair the last weekend in September.

Each week there are fifteen vendors, two artisans, the others agricultural. Most have been at the market since it began.

Offerings include vegetables, eggs, goat and dairy cheeses, meats (including veal this year), and honey and honey products such as candles. Bread and baked goods and prepared foods are also sold to take away or eat at the market, including breakfast (farm-made sausages) and lunch (hamburgers or hot dogs). Special events include Dog Day, Kids’ Fun Day, and pumpkin painting CONNECTIC UT E A S T

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“Something special happens when you can talk to the farmer or honey producer to understand where our food and our nourishment come from. This relationship is magical and it’s important because we are not tied to the land any more. It’s necessary to inspire respect for the land as the source of food.” the last two weeks in October. One Saturday a month is “Local Omelets Day.” Chester makes the omelets with produce gathered at the market.

Music adds to the ambience and children are encouraged to pick up instruments and join in. With as many as five hundred visitors each week, this is local shopping. “Lebanon doesn’t have a supermarket, so the market is a venue for farmers to sell directly and also for consumers to purchase their food in town a town without a central market.”

Erica Pagluica of Coventry describes the market’s move to the Hale Homestead as part of its evolution. The Nathan Hale Homestead is a historic site operated by Connecticut Landmarks. “It’s bucolic space and historically an important property to the town.” In her second year as market master, she became involved as a volunteer on a committee established as the town was preparing to transition out of market management. “The Coventry market has had such a successful history and has been instrumental and inspirational in our state, but the experience speaks to the importance of having a succession plan,” she observes.

The market is now independent and has a program grant this year to enhance relationships between consumer and vendor.

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“Something special happens when you can talk to the farmer or honey producer to understand where our food and our nourishment come from. This relationship is magical and it’s important because we are not tied to the land any more. It’s necessary to inspire respect for the land as the source of food.”

The popular weekly themes have been revamped to add more interactive presen-

tations and tasting opportunities. Some of the favorites will stay—dog days, pottery, microbrew, fiber arts--but recipes and ways to create dishes using ingredients “found in the field” will be emphasized. In addition to the fruits and vegetables available each week, we have olive oils, vinegars, breads, and gluten free-seasonings. These can be combined to inspire home cooks, while also teaching how to shop the market to be cost effective and fun. Some programs will show how to use purchases more completely by making soup broths, instead of throwing away scraps and buying boxed broth. “You can taste when the food is fresh, but it’s also a struggle to find foods that taste good at the right price point for a household budget.

We want to demonstrate how to maximize market purchases.”

Every week there are sixty-five full time vendors and about twenty guest vendors on a rotating basis. Tables for the sponsors and community groups also provide exposure.

Depending on the weather and the theme, weekly attendance ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 customers.

With more than one hundred farmers markets, there are many opportunities for Connecticut producers to sell directly to consumers.

Photos by Timothy Williamson

“Labeling in the age of Social Media.”

Storrs Farmers Market. Mansfield Town Hall, 4 South Eagleville Road, Storrs.

Saturdays. May 6 through November 25, 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Lebanon Farmers Market. Lebanon Town Hall, 579 Exeter Road. Saturdays. 9:00 a.m. to noon. June 3 to October 14 Coventry Farmers Market. Hale Homestead, 2299 South Street. Sundays. June 4 through October 29, 2017, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Ledyard Farmers Market. Fair Grounds Route 117. Wednesdays June 7 through October 4, 2017, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Stonington Village Farmers Market. 22 Bayview Avenue. Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Putnam Saturday Market. Riverview Marketplace, 18 Kennedy Drive. Saturdays.

June 3 through October 28, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Northeast Connecticut Farmers Markets

Putnam. Thursdays, From May 4. Riverview Marketplace, 18 Kennedy Dr. Danielson. Saturdays. From May 6. 9:00 a.m. to noon. Killingly Memorial Library Putnam. Mondays. From June 12. 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Riverview Marketplace Brooklyn. Wednesdays. From June 14. 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. 560 Providence Rd Plainfield. Thursdays. From June 20. 4:00 to 6 p.m. 651 Norwich Road

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