CT Green Scene

Old Rural, New Urban: Farm Fresh...Downtown

by James Simpkins

I grew up in suburbs, and no one ate very well there--but it wasn't a bad gig to live there. Still, great food wasn’t really an option—you just went to the grocery store and ate what they had. It turns out we had wonderful farms and plenty of freshly grown produce about the minutes from the house, but they weren’t exactly widely available. Twenty years ago, the farmers’ market of central Ohio amounted to a pick-up parked on the side of the road with its tail-gate open with bushels of corn or stacks of fresh beefsteak tomatoes in the back. The pick-ups are still parked out there during July and August, but nowadays you don’t have to cruise back roads to find farm fresh produce, you just get on the internet and find your closest farmers’ market.

Urban, especially sub-urban, places have started to see a change over the food landscape in recent years, and the in-roads of goods from the country to the city have started being not only more visible, but also more accessible. Historically, this is significant. I mean farmers have been taking their wares to market in the city since urban environments started springing up 6,000 years ago. But they faded out of view after the Industrial Revolution and the rise of our modern food distribution systems. But that’s changing, and for the rising number of urban and suburban gourmands, this can only be good news. Just look at Connecticut: Less than five years ago, we had a handful of farmers’ markets across the state—mostly nowhere convenient. As I have written before, the Collinsville farmers’ market started just a few years ago with less than five vendors. Now it is at capacity and the waiting list is long, not to mention there are more than 140 farmers’ markets across the state on every day of the week from June until October. If we take farmers’ markets as a sign of the demand for fresh food (and we do), this bodes well for getting more fresh, local food into our local supply chain. What I didn’t fully realize until the other day was that it is blurring the lines between rural and urban, farm and city, and bringing farmers into direct, personal encounters with the general public and forming mutually beneficial and sometimes exclusive relationships. (I know I won’t buy beets from anyone except Tom…a local farmer in Burlington, CT)

Oxford Hosts 3rd Annual "MADE IN CONNECTICUT" Fair

A Bounty of CT Made Specialty Foods, Art, Crafts, and Farms

Caramel-Apple Jam, Gourmet Spice Blends, Ice Cream, Authentic Italian Pasta Sauce, Hand Crafted Wooden Bowls, Fleece Blankets, Free Range Eggs, Maple Syrup & Honey, Handcrafted Casual & Fine Jewelry, Felted wool sculptures & gifts, Award Winning Pickles, are just a few offerings at Oxford’s Third Annual "Made in Connecticut" Fair. The Fair slogan is "We’ve got it ‘Made in Connecticut!’ and everyone is welcome!

"We’ve had an overwhelming response to this fair! " says Jane Maher, Event Chairperson and member of Oxford’s Democratic Town Committee, sponsor of the event. "The quality of CT made and grown products is far superior to those from half-way around the world. This Fair is a great way to support our CT small business owners and also lower our carbon footprints by shopping locally for the best and safest food, high quality crafts, and gift ideas. It’s a "win win" situation for everyone, and a huge plus for Oxford and the state of Connecticut!"

Where: the grounds of The Colonial Tavern, 24 Hawley Lane Oxford will be the rural backdrop for the event. Sunday, October 4, 2009, 10 am to 4 pm. Rain or shine, as there is a tented porch area.

Admission is $2.00 per person. Children 12 and under are free.

There are still a few spaces left for interested vendors. Contact Jane Maher at 203-231-5109 for more information.

Taking A Bite Out of Recycling

by Eileen Weber
 

Perusing the green sites earlier this morning, I came across The Daily Green’s post about Recycling Oddities. Recycling cardboard, metal cans, and plastic is old hat compared to these little gems.
 
Want to get rid of your old sneakers? Can do. Not sure what to do with that extra prosthetic limb in the closet? You can recycle that as well. Those leftover bits of soap from the shower? No problem. There’s even a place that will recycle sex toys. But that’s a whole different article.
 
But there was one item that got my attention: Dentures. I’m all for saving the planet one recycling bucket at a time. But the idea of having somebody else teeth in my mouth gave me the willies. Not to mention the fact that I don’t have too many plans to lose my teeth in the first place. And just so you know, I plan on living forever. The whole dying thing just cramps my style. Although, I can get a recycled casket if I want.
 
But recycled dentures? Really? I felt compelled to look deeper into this. So I called my own dentist, Zaino & Scully in Fairfield. I was told that custom crowns are made to fit and not easily adaptable to anyone else. Teeth are not exchangeable like eyeglasses. As far as they were concerned, it just couldn’t be done.
 
But Japan begs to differ. The Japanese Denture Recycling Association will take partial dentures. Unfortunately and not surprisingly, their web site was completely in Japanese. Since I haven’t brushed up on my Asian languages recently, this was a bummer.
 
But last April, The Associated Press did a story about the company. The teeth and gum molds are custom made, typically don’t fit other people, and full dentures usually don’t carry metals. But in the partial dentures, it’s the precious metals like gold, platinum, and palladium that are key.
 
The Japanese Denture Recycling Association also donates a portion of its proceeds to UNICEF, the non-profit organization that supports the growth and health of children all over the globe.
 
So the next time you think about chucking those choppers for a set of new ones, you have an environmentally-friendly option for the old ones.
 
Photo courtesy of The Daily Green.

Ruby Red Stilettos Gives CTGS a Boost

by Danielle Travali

photo: Mark Watkins

Via CT POST

On Thursday, Sept. 24, the Fairfield County chapter of Green Drinks, an international organization that encourages people in local communities to socialize and share their ideas for improving the environment, hosted a presentation at the Discovery Museum and Planetarium in Bridgeport. The last time I’d been to the Discovery Museum was for a Girl Scout field trip in the second grade. So, when a friend told me about the event, I decided to make an appearance and see what it was all about. I was especially excited that the evening would end with a light show in the planetarium, synchronized with the music of Irish rock band U2.

Heather Burns-DeMelo, founder of CT Green Scene who helmed the event along with the Connecticut Alliance for Sustainable Enterprise, described the evening’s theme as “Innovation in Developing Sustainable Solutions”—introducing new ways to save water and electricity, encouraging green habits and improving the condition of our earth. 

Wearing the well-known “Hello, My Name Is______” tags scrawled with their identities, friendly guests mingled and meandered on the first floor of the museum, nibbling on organic lemon curry brown rice and vegetable sushi from Health in a Hurry in Fairfield and sampling locally-produced organic beverages: wines such as “Live a Little” shiraz from Organic Vintages, local beer from Burnside, and organic agave-sweetened tea from Steaz.

Not only did I swirl my wine glass and tap my heels to the smooth, sophisticated tunes played by the Jazz Guild of Fairfield County, but I gleaned “green” tips and advice from sponsors and supporters of this affair.

Making a Difference

Congratulations to this team of volunteers who participated in International Coastal Clean Up Day and CFE Save the Sound on Saturday, September 19th 2009 on Goose Island.

Appearing from left to right: Hanne Flaherty, Kevin Flaherty, Mark Watkins, Curtis Watkins, Luke Watkins and Caroline Politi.

Dustin' Off My Didge

by Heather Burns-DeMelo

I learned to play the didgeridoo while living on "the rock." The Rock, as farang (foreigners) call it, is the island of Koh Tao, just East of the Thai peninsula and too small to appear on a majority of printed maps.

Life there was as euphoric as it was hypocritical. It was difficult in the sense that creature comforts like regular electricity (lights, hair dryer, fridge, laundry) and hot water showers were luxuries, yet the beauty of the island and the simplicity of the lifestyle -- no Iphone, no email, no KEYS -- have seared "perfect life" into my mind.

Most days, working as a Dive Master, there was little to do other than to secure the safety of those entrusting their lives to us at 40 metres.  But occasionally, we'd take notice of the proverbial iceberg melting before our eyes.

The coral bleached as we sat on the beach at sunset, sipping a Chang and chatting about the day's adventures. My favorite family of coral fish met their demise when a dive boat (that should well have known their position from sailing there every day) dropped an anchor below, whale sharks went hungry from a lack of plankton, and colleagues stabbed themselves in the foot on hypodermic needles -- dragged ashore from Burmese fishermen trying to forget their horrid past -- laid the groundwork for the greater sense of awareness that carries me today.

Nearly ten years later, my heart still lives on Koh Tao and my didge sits in the corner of my New England cottage and housing several species of spiders, while those who truly know me wonder when I'm going to sling it on my back and head off on an adventure once more.

And I wonder when, and if, my work here in Connecticut will ever be done.  When will our parts per million be safely at 350 so I can relax? When will the $700 billion/year industry I've been courting for 18 months to become messengers for the greater good concede?

Tonight, I just want to chase the spiders off and play.

Learn By Doing

by Eileen Weber

Many of the farms in this state have been sold off to build housing developments. Some farms that are hundreds of years old have fallow fields from lack of use. Then there are the farms that serve a greater purpose: Educating our children.

Ambler Farm in Wilton is one of them. For the last few years, their educational programs for elementary and middle school children have grown. Ann Bell, President of the Friends of Ambler Farm, an organization that supports the farm and its historic buildings, said these kids are getting the full farm experience. They are taught how to run a farm from collecting eggs to gardening organically to learning how to cook with the food they grow.

Since the Town of Wilton purchased the land in 1999 after the death of Betty Ambler, the last original owner, Bell said there has been great support in making the farm a big part of the community. Not only do they have an ongoing partnership with the school system, but they also sell their fresh produce and maple syrup at their own farm stand as well as at the town’s farmers’ market. Next Sunday, they will have Ambler Farm Day with hayrides and pumpkin tossing.

Other farms in the state have also turned to education as a way to stay a vibrant part of their communities. There is Terra Firma Farm in Stonington, New Pond Farm in West Redding, and Auer Farm in Bloomfield. Each of them has their own educational programs for school-aged children to teach them about life on a farm. From math to science to art, there’s something for everyone.

What's Your Action?

350.org is calling on people around the world to organize an action on October 24, 2009 incorporating the number 350 at an iconic place in their community, and then upload a photo of their event to 350.org website.

They'll collect these images from around the world and, with your help, deliver them to the media and world leaders.

To help you take part in October 24's international day of climate action, 350.org is:

• Lifting public awareness on the need for an international climate treaty to reach 350
• Assembling a coalition of hundreds of organizations committed to this vision of a more sustainable world 
• Connecting you with others in your community and across the planet who are building this movement 
• Providing on-line resources and tools that make pulling together an event easy
• Linking your October 24 event with hundreds of other actions at iconic places around the world 
• Leveraging the day of action for meaningful political change

CT GreenScene wants to help you spread the word, so let us know how we can help mobilize and get the message out there that 350 IS the MAGIC number.

WHY???????

Cooking Through the Autumn Blues

by James Simpkins

If you’re anything like me, autumn is merely a signal that the bounty of garden love and affection is about to hibernate. Cooking in the fall climate is a little rough after summer’s spoils, but perhaps a little guidance for you fair-weather cooks out there could help you avoid despair.

1) Do NOT give up on local foods after the farmers’ markets close.

While most of the CT markets will board up in October, there are plenty of folks around who milk Mother Nature for all she’s worth, even through the “killing frost.” While you’re going to have to give up on the tomato plants (if you hadn’t composted them already), basil, cucumbers and peppers pretty soon, you can look forward to leeks, squashes, beets, and heartier greens like escarole and my favorite post-frost buddy, kale. Actually, there’s a great website I found here that you can bookmark for easy reference. Not only can it aid you amateur gardeners in harvesting as well as next spring’s plantings, but all you foodies can start scouring your region for those who already have it down pat. Turns out, it’s pretty much good sense—notice I didn’t say “common?”). Look at a Brussels sprout plant: Did you really think it was going to fold after just a couple of cold nights? Not a chance.

One Man’s Junk…

by Eileen Weber

Feel the need to clean out your basement? Garage looking a little funky? Wish all that stuff could go to a good home instead of a landfill? Then The Junkluggers may be the company for you.

Founded in 2004, the Fairfield-based company works with such charitable organizations like Goodwill Industries and Habitat for Humanity. Josh Cohen, the company’s 26-year-old owner, says getting into the business of hauling your unwanted stuff away was originally just a way to make money.

As a student at the University of Connecticut, he had the chance to study abroad in Australia. While there, a friend made $100 hauling away a neighbor's fridge. Eking out an existence on minimum wage, he thought he might be in the wrong business. But once he started, he quickly realized it was a great industry to express his environmentalism.

“The end goal here is to keep as much stuff out of the landfills,” says Cohen. “We’re just filling a need. There’s always junk.”

Cohen trains his employees on what is really trash and what can be donated or recycled. They sort the trash and put it into the truck based on where it has to go. With the landfill as the last stop, the trash goes toward the front of the truck, recyclables in the middle, and donated items at the back to be dropped off first. “It’s time-consuming and a little more expensive,” he said, “but it’s worthwhile.”

Kroon Hall makes environmentalists swoon

By John Burgeson
Staff writer, Connecticut Post
Updated: 09/20/2009 12:18:22 AM EDT

NEW HAVEN ---- Looking a little like a 19th century Vermont barn, the newest building on the Yale University campus is attracting international attention because it's one of the most environmentally friendly buildings of its type in the world.

Kroon Hall, around the corner from the Peabody Museum, is the new home of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

It gets electricity from the sun. Geothermal energy provides heat and air conditioning. Rainwater from the roof and grounds is used to run the commodes. Solar panels heat the water. In the winter, heat exchangers pull heat energy from warm exhaust air to aid the heating system.

Experts say that it uses about half the electricity than what would be expected for a building its size, and the photovoltaic array on the roof supply one-fourth of the remaining electrical load.

The structure is heated and cooled entirely with geothermal energy ---- there's no backup furnace or air conditioning system ---- or even a water heater for that matter.

Kroon is designed so it won't require much heating and cooling in the first place. Its east-west orientation maximizes solar heating in the winter, and the 23-degree tilt of the exterior slats deflect the sun's rays when it's high in the sky in the summer months. The massive concrete superstructure--there's no steel skeleton--acts as a huge heat sink. This "thermal mass" absorbs heart during the summer months, which slowly radiates

Click here to read more.

Photo courtesy of Yale University/Robert Benson

Junk Mail: Return to Sender

by Eileen Weber

Most of us get a ton of junk mail. I don’t know about you, but I’m probably not going to use Mike’s Painting or Jimmy Bob’s Plumbing Services. I don’t care if I get $5 off my next large pizza. And the last time I checked, I didn’t need laser surgery or a lower APR on my Discover card. I don’t even have a Discover card.

Just moments after these little pieces of paper hit my doorstep, they’re in the trash. It would be one thing if we actually used the services or products that are advertised on them. But typically, there is only about a 2% return on direct mailing.

“We used to get so much direct mail and it was immediately put in the trash, it was such a waste,” said Margot Brown, co-owner of StopTheJunkMail.com, of why she and her husband got into the business. “We really liked the link between stopping junk mail, privacy, and saving trees. We plant a tree for each new membership with American Forests Organization.”

She said in a recent e-mail that the easiest way for any consumer to get on a mailing list is to order an item from a catalog. Once a consumer orders from that catalog, then the process begins. This is considered “opting in.” Another way for your name to get on lists is to buy a house. Your name and address is open to the public and marketers use these free services. She said “opting out” is a much harder job.

On Cooking

by James Simpkins

The term cooking—when I say it, anyway—means taking raw food items, preparing them and applying heat or culinary technique to affect change—not throwing a frozen pizza in the oven. In the ever-augmenting rush of our daily lives, cooking is taking a back seat. Without putting too fine a point on it, I think we’re just lazy.

James, what are you talking about? What about The Food Network? “Julie and Julia”? Rachel Ray? I mean, food is so “yum-o”, how could the practice of cooking go second fiddle?

Well, to use those examples: 1) The Food Network is a TV channel---you really shouldn’t be cooking yourself when the next episode of “Look How Much Better I Cook Than You Do” is on. 2) “Julie & Julia” is a decent movie about a young woman with a cool blog idea piggy-backing on a cultural icon. At least she’s in a kitchen. 3) Rachel Ray has a talk show. I know that after I get done listening to all that high discourse, I’m too tired to cook. Michael Pollan just wrote a great (and slightly less catty) piece on this very topic of not cooking in the New York Times Magazine that I’d recommend reading. The upshot is that cooking as entertainment necessarily wants—no, needs—you out of the kitchen. I’d like to convey a couple of my own reasons to get back into it.

Sound plate program raided

For those of you who wanted to preserve Long Island Sound, your money may no longer support such a good cause.

Conservationists: Projects May End Up Underfunded
By Ken Dixon
Staff Writer, Connecticut Post
Updated: 09/12/2009 10:40:18 PM EDT

HARTFORD -- Sixteen years after motorists began paying premiums for special "Preserve the Sound" license plates, lawmakers have disbanded the fund that has invested nearly $5 million in a variety of education and conservation projects.

The Long Island Sound Fund, a dedicated pot of revenue that could not be used for any other reason, will go out of business Oct. 1, the victim of "sweeps" by legislative leaders desperate for money to balance Connecticut's precarious budget.

On that date, money collected by the state Department of Motor Vehicles that had gone into the fund will revert instead to the General Fund.

Twenty special funds within the state Department of Environmental Protection will be closed out, from the Connecticut Lighthouse Preservation account to the pool of money used to clean up oil and hazardous waste spills.

To read more of the article, please click here.

Treehugger: Not Just An Environmental Web Site

by Eileen Weber

For David Johnston, nature and wildlife are more than just a backdrop for portraits and weddings. There is a serene beauty in all of it that needs to be captured. That’s what he tries to do with much of his business, Treehugger Photography.

But why Treehugger? “I’m really environmental,” said Johnston. “Our family is green. I’m all about conservation and sustainable energy. And I really like being outside. I like to highlight natural scenes.”

Johnston’s early career runs the gamut of sales, business development, media advertising and technical web consulting. Offering to help with brand promotion, he ended up doing a lot of photography. He found he liked it more than as just a passing hobby.

Smart Choices: A Pig With Lipstick

by Eileen Weber

Recently, some of the major food manufacturers, including Kellogg’s, Tyson, Kraft Foods and General Mills launched a new label for food called “Smart Choices.” The foods that get the thumbs up are such sugary confections in brightly-colored boxes as Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, and Cocoa Krispies. These cereals were given the green light because they contained a certain amount of fiber and Vitiamins A and C. The fact that they have the sugar content of a box of cookies is apparently beside the point.

"The point of the program is to make processed foods look healthy when you really want people eating foods that have been as minimally processed as possible," said Dr. Marian Nestle, a professor of nutritional studies at New York University, as quoted by CBS News on September 6th.

But Eileen T. Kennedy, president of the Smart Choices board and the dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, disagrees with Nestle. In a New York Times article dated September 4th, Kennedy said that the program was based on “government dietary guidelines and widely accepted nutritional standards” as well as “research into consumer behavior.” The research showed that information was nice, but don’t give people bad news about the food they like.

“The checkmark means the food item is a ‘better for you’ product, as opposed to having an X on it saying ‘Don’t eat this,’ ” The New York Times quoted Dr. Kennedy as saying. “Consumers are smart enough to deduce that if it doesn’t have the checkmark, by implication it’s not a ‘better for you’ product. They want to have a choice. They don’t want to be told ‘You must do this.’ ”

Kennedy continued by saying that Froot Loops were a better breakfast choice than, say, doughnuts. Just so you know, Froot Loops are also a better breakfast choice than a container of Crisco.

The Dandelion: Unlikely Gastronomy from the Suburban Jungle

by: James Simpkins

As a former chef I suspect I have fielded the question “What’s your favorite food?” more than most people, and by and large the answer is always peanut butter. It really is my favorite food and has been since I can remember. This past week I re-discovered an item that may have never been the answer to that question for anyone: dandelion greens. This much-eschewed weed and its flower (Taraxacum officinale) that you, o’ dauntless suburbanite yard-tender, have spent uncountable hours trying to get rid of, is an edible and nutritious-not to mention plentiful- food source. I can personally attest to its abundance after taking a tour of my yard this past weekend--the things are everywhere. I can also tell you that even I, o' dedicated food-guy, did not think of them as food. That is until now--but with a disclaimer that I will share later. Part of the chicory family, the soft, soothing murmur of its name is even overlooked; in old French, it was le dent-de-lion, or “the tooth of the lion”. With such a great name, something must have been lost in translation: How did this ancient yellow flower become a New World nuisance?  

Looking into the history of this lawn-loitering green I kept finding Old World style recipes: Chopped, boiled, then sautéed in olive oil; blanched, then chopped and mixed with olive oil; chopped then mixed with other greens for a salad with olive oil dressing. See a pattern? However, it turns out all the chopping and olive oil is not without merit.

FC Green Drinks and Discover Green Expo!

The Fairfield County chapter of GreenDrinks will kick off fall at the Discovery Museum and Planetarium in Bridgeport, Connecticut on Thursday, September 24th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Discovery is located at 4450 Park Avenue, one mile south off of Exit 47, Merritt Parkway, near Sacred Heart University.

There will also be a U2 light show in the The Henry B. duPont III Planetarium. The show is a full dome digital planetarium experience offering rich computer renderings and abstract visuals choreographed to the music of the award-winning Irish rock band.

Organic hors’dourves from Health in a Hurry, organic wine from Organic Vintages, local beer from New England Brewery, and organic soda and tea from Steaz will be served. The Jazz Guild of Fairfield County will be the musical entertainment for the evening. Tickets are $20 per person. A portion of the ticket price will support the museum’s programs.

On Saturday, September 26th, DISCOVER GREEN EXPO bring the whole family to a day full of fun, green and educational events for everyone!

 

One Man’s Trash ...

I saw this in today's New York Times and couldn't resist posting it. This is a perfect example of green building: Recycling materials from excess waste and repurposing it to make something different, interesting, and in this case, off-beat. I especially liked the picture frames on the ceiling (see below).

September 3, 2009
By KATE MURPHY
HUNTSVILLE, Tex.

Among the traditional brick and clapboard structures that line the streets of this sleepy East Texas town, 70 miles north of Houston, a few houses stand out: their roofs are made of license plates, and their windows of crystal platters.

They are the creations of Dan Phillips, 64, who has had an astonishingly varied life, working as an intelligence officer in the Army, a college dance instructor, an antiques dealer and a syndicated cryptogram puzzle maker. About 12 years ago, Mr. Phillips began his latest career: building low-income housing out of trash.

In 1997 Mr. Phillips mortgaged his house to start his construction company, Phoenix Commotion. “Look at kids playing with blocks,” he said. “I think it’s in everyone’s DNA to want to be a builder.” Moreover, he said, he was disturbed by the irony of landfills choked with building materials and yet a lack of affordable housing.

To him, almost anything discarded and durable is potential building material. Standing in one of his houses and pointing to a colorful, zigzag-patterned ceiling he made out of thousands of picture frame corners, Mr. Phillips said, “A frame shop was getting rid of old samples, and I was there waiting.”

A Sweet Business: Artisan Maple Syrup at Leonard's Sugarhouse

by James Simpkins

Most mornings, my idea of breakfast involves freshly ground coffee and a piece of whole wheat toast—with butter, peanut butter and strawberry preserves. Recently, however, I’ve been dreaming of waffles, pancakes and oatmeal. What these three food items have in common, aside from traditionally being eaten at breakfast, is that they are perfect vehicles for consuming maple syrup.

Like most people of Generation X, I did not grow up on real maple syrup. In fact, what we ate in my house wasn’t referred to as “maple syrup” at all, just “syrup”--those sickly sweet and wickedly cheap maple syrup substitutes. It wasn’t until after high school that I tried the real thing and realized all that I had been missing…which turned out to be between 96-100% of it.

Most commercial brand syrups contain between 0-4% maple syrup. For example, the bottle of Mrs. Butterworth’s that I found in my mother-in-law’s cupboard has not a drop of anything maple—not even artificial maple flavoring. An imposter at best, it is essentially high-fructose corn syrup with molasses and caramel coloring to give it a recognizable look. Oh, and don’t forget salt, sodium phosphate (a preservative), and the potassium hexametaphosphate. Ironically, this last ingredient is a flavor enhancer designed to reduce sodium content in food products. The unconscionable greed that generates these kinds of products, I reluctantly understand. It’s the people who knowingly and willingly buy the stuff.

In my world, ALL the responsibility rests with the consumer. Not that there aren’t horrible and treacherous folks at a company, but they simply will not make something no one buys. It’s one thing to be a 12 year-old with a sweet tooth; it’s quite another to be a parent who overlooks the ingredients clearly marked on the bottle and gives this kind of crap to their kids anyway to save a few bucks. (If this sounds harsh, you are reading it correctly.)

Enter Raymond Leonard.

Ray is the sole proprietor of Leonard’s Sugarhouse, a local maple syrup producer located on Cherry Brook Rd. (CT-179) in North Canton, CT. I had driven by the sign no less than 100 times and realized one day that I had never actually read it. I mean, I knew what it said, but it’s a little like hearing someone yell “Fore!” on the golf course and assuming it is meant for someone else. Getting hit in the head by such a whizzing white projectile is comparable to the force of recognizing the meaning of the sign: For more than two years, I had lived less than six miles from an artisan producer of maple syrup, one of my favorite foods of all time, and had never tasted a drop of it. (sigh) That all changed last Saturday morning.