Central MA Farms Receive Grants For Energy/Environmental Upgrades

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Thursday, September 26, 2013

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Lunenburg’s Stillman Dairy Farm and Oakham’s Dismas Family Farm have received $15,000 grants from the state Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) office, the Patrick Administration announced today. The grants, which were awarded to 56 farms statewide, were awarded to farmers who implemented renewable energy systems, improved energy efficiency on their farms, and helped to reduce or prevent negative images to natural resources by their agricultural practices.

The grants were formally announced yesterday by EEA Secretary Rick Sullivan at Couto Cranberries in East Taunton, another of this year’s grant recipients. This year’s grants totaled $700,000.

Less is more

Stillman Dairy Farms received its award for clean manure storage, while Dismas Family Farm received its award for the installation of a 20.4kW Photovoltaic System, which will reduce the farm’s carbon footprint.

“We at Dismas Family Farm were thrilled to receive this grant,” said Dave McMahon, co-Executive Director at Dismas House of Massachusetts, Inc. “We have a strong commitment to our sustainability as an organization, and this solar panel grant to our farm will help us produce local food with a lighter carbon footprint.

Supporting the whole community

In addition to green farming, the Dismas Family Farm, Dismas House, and Father John Brooks House serve prisoners reentering society by providing a supportive community, educational opportunities, job placement, and housing.

“The new PV system will additionally help the bottom line of the farm by reducing energy costs, and allowing us to focus on our twin missions at the farm of rehabilitating area former offenders and homeless, while also operating a successful and self-sustaining farm operation,” he said. “The commitment of our state senators and representatives to the small local farm in Massachusetts has been tremendous, as has the administration's continued focus on both green energy and supporting Massachusetts’ farmers.”

“We are proud to support our local famers in their efforts to ensure a sustainable future for their farms,” said Secretary Sullivan. “With each grant, we are creating opportunity for agriculture to stay rooted and grow in our communities. The Patrick Administration is committed to reducing energy costs and improve efficiency, and we’re thankful to the Commonwealth’s farmers who are partnering with us in our progress toward a clean energy future.”

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