***UPDATE*** The CT Farm Energy Workshops scheduled for 02/06/2025 and 02/20/2025 will be virtual. Register to be sure to receive the link.***
Please click here to register for one of the upcoming 2025 CT Farm Energy Workshops.
- February 6, 2025 10:30am-12pm Virtual (previously scheduled to be at the UCONN Extension Center in Fairfield County, 67 Stony Hill Rd, Bethel, CT.)
- February 20, 2025 2:30pm-4pm Virtual (previously scheduled to be at the UCONN Extension Center in Litchfield County, 843 University Dr, Torrington, CT.)
- February 27, 2025 In-person 4pm-5:30pm at the UCONN Extension Center in Middlesex County, 1066 Saybrook Rd, Haddam, CT.
Guest speakers will cover energy efficiency and renewable energy options for CT farms. Presentations will include a focus on State & Federal incentives such as Energize CT, USDA REAP, USDA EQIP, Utility Incentives, and more followed by Q&A. Learn how your farm can start saving money with energy upgrades and producing on-farm energy. The workshops will be in-person and free to attend. If you need any special accommodations, please contact Christian at christian@ctfarmenergy.org.
REAP Grant Deadline 12/31/24
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
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.
