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HARTFORD — President Barack Obama authorized Hartford's Colt Park to become a national historic park in 2014, but the designation hasn't formally been established because of the lengthy, technical deed process involved. 

In Hartford’s historic 106-acre Colt Park, two long-vacant buildings formally owned by wealthy industrialist Samuel Colt are about to get a major boost from $1 million in federal money.

In an effort to gather information and disseminate it to those affected, U.S. Rep. John Larson held a roundtable discussion at the Glastonbury Town Hall, on July 31, about what the state and federal government is doing to aid farms affected by the recent flooding, and what could be done better.

Several business people, town leaders, and farmers from several towns were in attendance.

Over the last two years, drought, frost and now flooding have hit Connecticut farms, and as weather-related disasters become more common, the farmers are pushing Congress to fix a crop insurance program they say hasn’t worked for them.

With the federal farm bill, an omnibus package of farm programs and funding passed by Congress every five years, up for renewal this year, the legislation could offer an avenue for changes to the insurance program.

Standing in front of a flooded field in South Glastonbury, top state officials pledged Monday to find money to help farmers whose crops have been devastated in recent days by flooding.

Just weeks ago, drought required Kevin Bassette to irrigate rows of lettuce, radishes, kale, Chinese cabbage and pickling cucumbers his family grows in Glastonbury on the Connecticut River’s fertile floodplain.

He didn’t complain. Given a choice of drought or deluge, Bassette would opt for drought. “I prefer bone dry,” he said. “You can always add water. You can’t take it away.”