For the People

Did you know 2026 is the International Year of the Woman Farmer? Connecticut has a lot to celebrate when it comes to our venerable women farmers, so we'll be connecting with the Commissioner of the state's Department of Agriculture to cover a number of related subjects - and to help us kick off our year-long series focusing on local women farmers.

Then we'll raise collective voices and introduce our new Connecticut State Troubadour. Besides learning more about him, we'll tap into all the creative ways he hopes to promote and provide musicians and songwriters with greater visibility, as well as ensuring these musical creatives are able to be so much more than starving artists when it comes to getting fairly compensated for gigs.

And, as promised, we'll bring you the first of our monthly 'Women Farmers In Focus' series promoting the International Year of the Woman Farmer getting to know the first of about a dozen Connecticut women farmers that For the People will be featuring throughout 2026. So put down roots for a few more minutes and enjoy a visit with Jen Halfinger of Halfinger Farms and Dancing Daffodils in Higganum!

Today's For the People is going to put heavy focus on - and share a ton of accurately sourced details about insurance with the Connecticut Insurance Department's Interim Commissioner, who will be covering a range of related subjects and reminding you about his department's brand new online Consumer Information Center.

Then - whether you work or volunteer at a nonprofit, or just like supporting them - we're going to introduce you to the Connecticut philanthropic entrepreneur who brought us 'Shopping Anyway' - an innovative app that assists nonprofits with a place to list all their needed goods while helping kind people looking to make an impact with a place to find non-profits to support.

And we'll close continuing with our celebration of the YMCA's 175th Anniversary visiting with a couple of representatives from the Northern Middlesex YMCA. This centrally located Y has a lot to offer, along with a chance for hearty supporters to to take the plunge for a purpose by participating in their 12th Annual Chill for Change.

For the People is proud to join the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA in celebrating 175 years of community building in 2026, as we welcome their current executive to discuss the organization's past and where it's headed. Tune in and find out why the Y is far more than a gym - it's a lifeline, a gathering place, and a trusted partner through both life’s challenges and its celebrations.

Then, we'll chat with associate professor Lauren Tucker about her work and her graduate elective class at Southern Connecticut State University. They have taken up a mission to add easier-to-use switches on toys that are then presented to teachers to use in their classrooms. Listen and learn why these modifications are so important.

And we'll close visiting with a couple of old friends representing the CT Food System Alliance. We'll have an informative conversation about the New England State Food System Planners Partnership Local Food Count - a New England initiative tracking local food spending to build a stronger food system while working toward a regional goal of 30% food self-sufficiency by 2030.