HeartCTGrown

Meet baby rhubarb. They love to play with strawberries and is obsessed with being doused in some sugary goodness and baked. I think it's because they spent so much time hiding in the dirt from the cold winter weather so they're ready to warm up. They can only visit farm stands and farmers markets for a limited time so you should rush to go and meet them. ⠀
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Photo by @coldspringfarmct
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#rhubarb #strawberryrhubarb #pie #crisp #galette #jam #cake #shrub #cocktails #makeallthethings #springcrop #rhubarbseason #eatthestems #veggiebabies #loveourfarmers #ctfarmers #grownhere #CTgrown #awayoflife #heartctgrown ...

May is national Beef month! Where's the beef? All over local farms in CT. And honestly, our grilling habit is kicking into gear with the warmer weather so we don't need much convincing to celebrate burgers, kabob, all the steaks... ⠀
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Photo by Hills Farm in Hebron⠀
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#wheresthebeef #beef #itswhatsfordinner #steak #groundbeef #grillingseason #grilling #grillmaster #grillingandchilling #grilllife #farmlife #farmraised #grassfeed #localbeef #localfarms #CTfarms #livestockfarmers #ranchers #CTgrown #awayoflife #heartCTgrown ...

Whew! Farmers markets are opening, fields are being planted and animals are running all over the place. Sounds like a crazy CT spring. We're going to take a quick week to regroup so we can bring you all the farms and farmers you love here at #heartCTgrown in all their crazy spring glory. See you next week!⠀
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photo by @drewshoneybees
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#springbreak #beejokes #honeybees #beback #brb ...

Farming is hard, but there is a reason that people start farming, and I bet it has some connection with why you might like gardening. For our #weekendread, check out this study out of the UK that shows how gardening improves our well-being! The whole article from the BBC Science Focus magazine can be found in our the link in our profile:⠀
Gardening more frequently may be linked to improvements in wellbeing, perceived stress and physical activity, new research suggests.⠀
A new study indicates that people who garden every day have wellbeing scores 6.6 per cent higher and stress levels 4.2 per cent lower than people who do not garden at all.⠀
According to the paper, gardening just two to three times a week maximised the benefits of better wellbeing and lower stress levels.⠀
“This is the first time the ‘dose response’ to gardening has been tested and the evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the more frequently you garden – the greater the health benefits,” said Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) wellbeing fellow and lead author Dr Lauriane Chalmin-Pui. “In fact gardening every day has the same positive impact on wellbeing than undertaking regular, vigorous exercise like cycling or running.⠀
“When gardening, our brains are pleasantly distracted by nature around us. This shifts our focus away from ourselves and our stresses, thereby restoring our minds and reducing negative feelings.”⠀
According to the study published in the journal Cities, gardening on a frequent basis-at least 2 to 3 times a week- corresponded with greatest perceived health benefits. Improving health, however, was not the prime motivator to garden, but rather the direct pleasure gardening brought to the participants.⠀
The study – conducted by the RHS in collaboration with the University of Sheffield and the University of Virginia – found that more frequent gardening was also linked with greater physical activity supporting the notion that gardening is good for both body and mind.⠀
“Gardening is like effortless exercise because it doesn’t feel as strenuous as going to the gym, for example, but we can expend similar amounts of energy,” Chalmin-Pui added.⠀
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#getoutside #growyourown #heartctgrown ...