NEWS & EVENTS

REAP Grant Deadline 9/30/24

Local Farms Awarded USDA Rural Development REAP Grants Host CT RC&D Board Members, Congressman Joe Courtney, CT Department of Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt & USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small

Last week CT RC&D board members and staff had the opportunity along with Congressman Joe Courtney and Connecticut Department of Agriculture Commissioner Bryan Hurlburt to welcome USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small to eastern Connecticut. The visit to local farms gave an opportunity to hear from farmers on how they’ve used federal funding.

A strong focus was on the USDA Rural Development REAP Grant program which enables farms to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The tour included a stop at Running Brook Farms in Killingworth with owners Becky Goetsch and Scott Papoosha. They have utilized REAP funding to make energy efficiency upgrades as well as install solar at the farm.

At the press conference held at Running Brook Farms it was announced that CT RC&D was a recipient of the USDA REAP TAG grant that will enable continued work through the CT Farm Energy Program for the next three years. For fifteen years, CT RC&D has assisted farms and ag-based rural small businesses in securing nearly 7.5 million dollars in REAP grant funding. This has resulted in close to 34 million dollars’ worth of projects being implemented in Connecticut. In the last two quarters of 2024, CT RC&D supported $1.3 million dollars in grant applications submissions to the REAP program for farms.

Next was a visit to Long Table Farm in Lyme for a tour with owner Baylee Drown and a roundtable discussion on USDA programs with local farmers, including Michael Swanson of Broad Brook Acres in Preston, Robert Chang of Echo Farms in Woodstock, Chris Pacheco of Seacoast Mushrooms in Stonington, and Paul Larson of Sprucedale Gardens.

CT RC&D staff and board were honored to join USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Dr. Basil Gooden, Congressman Joe Courtney, the SNE U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development staff, U.S. Department of Agriculture NRCS staff, and Connecticut Department of Agriculture Commissioner and staff in touring several farms that have received USDA REAP grants with the technical support of Connecticut Resource Conservation & Development - CT RC&D's Connecticut Farm Energy Program.

The tour included stops at Prides Corner Farms for roof and ground mount solar PV systems, and Hytone Farm, LLC for their Ag-Grid Energy LLC Anaerobic Digester that launched last spring.

Energy-Efficiency Opportunity

Energize CT and local utilities Eversource and United Illuminating are administering a survey to collect information on energy use in Connecticut’s agricultural sector. Please be on the lookout for postcards (see image above) sent to your location. Individuals that complete the survey will receive a $50 digital gift card. The information collected in this survey will help your utility and the State of Connecticut develop energy efficiency programs to better serve farms and agribusinesses like yours. If you received a postcard but no longer have it in your possession, please call 1-800-454-5070 to collect your unique invitation code.

May 8th, 2023 was a very special day at Hytone Farm, LLC as we celebrated the launch of the Hytone Ag-Grid Anaerobic Digester with Ag-Grid Energy LLC. The Connecticut Farm Energy Program was happy to provide assistance to this project and be one of many partners that was able to make this project a reality. This marks #2 for Anaerobic Digester projects we've assisted with, the first being at Fort Hill Farms in Thompson, CT also part of the The Farmer's Cow. Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate! With Office of Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Joe Courtney, Senator Jeff Gordon, State Representative Tim Ackert, Connecticut Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, NRCS, and Farm Service Agency, UGI Energy Services, Town Of Coventry, CT - Manager's Office, City of New Britain, Eversource Energy, Eversource CT, Capitol Region Council of Governments - CRCOG, UConn Extension, and Live Oak Bank.

CT Farm Energy Workshop/Climate Smart Agriculture Event on February 9, 2023, in Torrington, CT: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDGwCkNWSsVgSblt8h93pdh6DcbQm7FWt to watch a recording of the speaker presentations.