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02/03/2019 11:00 PMThis summer, sunflowers will be synonymous with North Branford. At least, that's the vision of the North Branford Sunflower Project's "projecteers." The all-volunteer group is assisting the town's Economic Development Commission (EDC) and Economic Development Coordinator with creating a bit of a brand identity for North Branford, in the form of a proliferation of sunflowers, of all types and sizes, blooming all around town in 2019.
"The idea of creating a brand identity for North Branford was suggested by Shelly Saczynski, a former Executive with UI and resident of North Branford," said Roger Salway, North Branford's Economic Development Coordinator and project lead.
The ad hoc Sunflower Project group (Salway named them "projecteers" because they are volunteers helping to guide the project) has secured assistance from local farm businesses to help purchase sunflower seeds in bulk. Once the seeds are selected and delivered, they will be shared across the community for planting by civic groups, schools, business, neighborhoods and families. The resulting multitude of sunflowers are hoped to become a symbol for the town and draw visitors here.
Salway is also helping the EDC with a new effort to create a short video that will share many different aspects of what the town has to offer in terms of commerce, agriculture, community, schools and more. The video is in the planning stages and will be produced with assistance from Totoket TV.
"It's going to be called 'Destination North Branford' and, of course, it's tied in with the sunflower program," said Salway. "It's all going to be part of creating North Branford as a destination. It will create an image for whether you're coming to live here, whether you're coming to visit here, whether you're coming to set up a business here."
While both the sunflower project and Destination North Branford video share many of the same goals, Salway notes the sunflower project will also serve some important conservation goals, by helping to build a foundation of pollinators in the bees and other beneficial insects the blooms will attract.
North Branford's Sunflower Project will also help beautify the town, as blooms open alongside businesses, private residences, recreational and municipal properties. The types of seeds that will be shared as part of the project will deliver a profusion of varieties, from traditional sunny yellow flower heads to smaller varieties which also flower in yellows, rusts and oranges.
The projecteers began meeting monthly in December 2018 and are making great progress; but volunteers to assist with the effort are always welcome. The next meeting is set for Feb. 11, 2:30 p.m. at Town Hall. Anyone interested assisting the project is invited to contact Salway at (203) 484-1034 or edc@townofnorthbranfordct.com