Futtner's Family Farm, LLC
A family-run, third generation vegetable farm and greenhouse business starting quality plants and vegetables from seed for the best selections. The retail stand is on Silver Lane in East Hartford between the Post Office and Walgreen's. Just ½ mile east of the stadium at Rentschler Field. We're open the week before Easter to mid-October. Daily hours vary with the season.
We are involved in the East Hartford Farmer's Market sponsored by the Connecticut Dept. of Agriculture. It is located on the lawn of East Hartford's Raymond Library on Main Street at the corner of Central Avenue. We are there every Friday morning, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. from July through October selling our own fresh-picked vegetables. There are other farms represented there providing variety and freshness for those who choose to shop in that venue.
We are also involved in the South Windsor Historical Society Farmers' Market that runs July to mid-October on Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the grounds of the Union District School, 771 Main Street, South Windsor.
Jim has always been involved in farming. His great-grandparents came from Italy in the late 1800's and bought land ‘out in the country' in East Hartford in the early 1900's. The family raised potatoes & tobacco in the beginning and later raised wholesale carrots & cabbage. Jim worked on the farm from the time he was seven and always felt a part of it. The farm, then called Futtner Brothers, was run by Jim's father Ray and uncles Lou and Blacey. In the mid 1960's they expanded the business to include a variety of vegetables for retail and wholesale. That's when the stand on Silver Lane was born.
All of Jim's family members made various contributions of time and effort. The flower business was added in the 1970's after Jim graduated from UConn's College of Agriculture and entered the business officially. Eventually, the older men retired and Jim took on his wife, Honora, as a partner in the business. Honora came from an ordinary suburban background and learned about farming as she went along. She has been active in the business since 1981 & is in charge of the retail aspect. Jim & Honora's four children have played active roles on the farm and in the stand since they were little.
They all still lend us a hand when they can. Now the youngest, Maggie, still actively works for the business while attending UConn in her father's & sister's footsteps. There are 2 grandsons who visit regularly and take an active interest in assisting with tomato harvest & eating the fruits of their labor. The tractor rides with Grandpa are a highlight of their day.
FARMERS WORK IN THE WINTER?
Futtner's Family Farm is run year round, and the winter months are certainly no exception. As the stand doors close to the public for the season in October, the behind-the-scenes magic really takes off! Our skeleton crew works together in a nurturing environment to make the upcoming Spring Season better than ever. The stand yard is cleaned, the plastic & tomato stakes are picked up from the farm, the greenhouses swept out; everything from our plants to supplies get tucked in to endure the chilling temperatures we endure here in Connecticut.
Some of the jobs we have are getting materials ready for planting, such as purchasing & preparing flats, pots, hanging baskets for transplanting the seedlings that grow into the plants that you buy in the spring; equipment maintenance & repairs; seeding perennials, vegetables & annuals; ordering containers, plants, labels; attending seminars for both greenhouse & farm and then trying to adapt the things we've learned to our own situation; making signs for the products we sell & researching the information for those signs; setting up the CSA; getting Proven Winners Certification; planning the planting of the farm.
We also have taken a University of Connecticut Extension Service course to become certified in GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) which means that we are working hard to provide the safest-possible quality vegetables to our customers. We take great pride in the preparation of our patio pots, hanging baskets and other delightful treats just waiting for the temperatures to warm up enough for you to bring them to their new homes!
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