August 6, 2009. I'm usually pretty good at picking up on things such as this, but this announcement completely slipped under my radar. Thanks to a post I came across at Farmer's Daughter, I learned this week, August 2 through 8, is the first official CT Grown Challenge. In honor of National Farmers' Market Week.  CT Commissioner of Agriculture F. Philip Prelli invites residents of the state to join him in participating in the first official CT Grown Challenge. «For one week, I challenge every resident to eat at least one CT Grown item each day,» Commissioner Prelli said, according to this press release.

So, there may be only two days left in this challenge, but my family does a good job of consuming CT grown goods … and it's not really a challenge. If memory serves me correctly, since August 2 we have enjoyed CT grown corn, blueberries, zucchini, nectarines, peaches, plums, tomatoes, feta cheese, beans (both purchased and from my garden), black currant juice, radishes, cucumbers, wine berries, onions, and garlic. And from my gardens the above mentioned beans, many varieties of lettuce, some blueberries, Alpine strawberries (photo at left), cilantro, papaloquelite, garlic chives, sage, cutting celery, the first hot pepper, mint (photo at right), and dill. Plus we've enjoyed an abundance of fresh cut, CT grown flowers.

How about joining in for the last two days of this challenge? If you don't have time for a web search, just stop by any local farm stand or head to a farmer's market to pick up dinner there.  If you have more time or want to try picking your own, visit any one of the sites listed here to find CT Grown goodies . 

• Farmer's Markets by county
• Organic Farms and Related Businesses in Connecticut
• CT Grass-fed foods
• Pick Your Own farms in CT
• Buy CT Grown

What fresh, delectable, CT grown foods have you enjoyed this week?