Agricultural Fair Brings Old-Fashioned Fun To Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, CT — The annual Agriculture Fair was back Saturday afternoon at the Greenfield Hill Grange Hall No. 133, and people were happy to be there.

Farm animals, antique farming tools, arts and crafts for sale, and a bevy of the best blue ribbon-winning homegrown produce from the region on display, along with an old-fashioned sense of community, had the fundraiser feeling fine for everyone.

“This is a key fundraiser to keep the Grange going,” said State Rep. Laura Devlin, a longtime member of the agricultural and community group.

She said it was hard for the organization to operate the previous year because of the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions that canceled last year’s fair.

“It’s nice that we’re able to be back and having a fair again,” she said, helping to sell some of the selection of baked goods made by members, and the plants and produce grown by them as well.

The National Grange has roots that begin in 1867, when a farmer from Minnesota named Oliver Hudson Kelley organized a group called the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, which aimed to create a sort of union among farmers.

“The Grange does a lot of things to support others,” Devlin said. “I think that they really focus on the community.”

Families come and have a good time, she said of the event, while funds raised help the work of the Grange continue.

“It’s small, it’s kind of intimate,” noted Bob Buck of Southbury, a longtime member who brought his collection of antiques and artifacts to share.

He commended the group for the work they do, part of which centers on advocating for agriculture.

“It’s seeing people, meeting people, socializing,” Roy Harrington, a state Grange representative, said of the fairs and the community-oriented spirit of the Grange.

“Everybody does a lot of stuff on computers, but we need to be doing more face to face,” he said.