 Brian Hurlburt, who is the Department of Agriculture's commissioner, said the 23 farm parcels protected last year were the most in a single calendar year since 1978 when we first started this program, spanning a total of 1,560 acres and costing the state about $10 million. And 47% came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2% from local nonprofits, and 51% from the state of Connecticut itself. But here's the thing.