BLIZZARD TAKES TOLL ON FARMERS

According to the CT Mirror, 2/13/13 story, Blizzard:  "For about the sixth time in less than three years, Connecticut farmers are taking stock of major weather-induced damage. This time hoop houses and high tunnels -- made from heavy-duty plastic over metal ribbing -- took the brunt of last week's blizzard, collapsing under the weight of snow. The toll, while incomplete, is already well beyond 100 structures collapsed or seriously damaged. The fallout from storm damage goes beyond the structures to the plants and the production processes to grow them. With the local food movement entrenched in Connecticut and a number of farmers' markets and community supported agriculture programs running year round, indoor growing has become increasingly popular through the winter. The structures are also used for what's known as season extension -- the ability to add a month or two on each end of the season by growing indoors."