To speed up operations, cut costs and incorporate clean energy into local food systems, the state has awarded roughly $450,000 to Franklin County farms.
The funding comes from the latest round of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources’ (MDAR) Climate Smart Agriculture Program. The streamlined grant application aims to help Massachusetts farmers secure the right equipment and start the right projects to get the best use out of their land, promote food safety, improve composting, incorporate clean energy and curb energy costs.
“Our farmers are keeping Massachusetts traditions alive, and we’re helping them adapt to a changing world,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “These grants will ensure Massachusetts farming families can invest in clean and efficient equipment so they can do what they do best — growing great produce, managing livestock, and keeping our communities fed and healthy.”
From surprise frosts to droughts, MDAR Commissioner Ashley Randle said farmers across the state are “on the front lines of unpredictable and extreme weather.”
“The Climate Smart Agriculture Program is about giving them the tools to adapt to those pressures,” the South Deerfield native said in a statement. “By investing in operational and infrastructure upgrades, we are helping Massachusetts farms adapt to an ever-changing environment, protect their livelihoods and continue to thrive as the backbone of our local food system that benefits us all.”
Of the 68 total farms and agricultural businesses that received a slice of the more than $2 million in grants, 11 are located in Franklin County.
Ashfield
Two Ashfield farms received grants through the Climate Smart Agriculture Grant program, those being Bear Hill Sugar Farm and Cranston’s Tree Farm.
Seth Cranston, co-owner of Cranston’s Tree Farm, said the farm received two grants: $19,034 for a reverse osmosis machine, and $22,163 for a maple vacuum and tank monitor.
“It allows us to more efficiently process sap and spend less time in the sugarhouse to get the final product, and using less energy in the process,” Cranston said of the reverse osmosis machine. “Before we had a [reverse osmosis machine], we’d go through upwards of 20 cords of wood per year; now it’s down to eight or somewhere in that range. It’s just utilizing better, more efficient ways to process the sap.”
Cooper Deane of Bear Hill Sugar Farm shared that the farm received $28,063, also for the purpose of purchasing a reverse osmosis machine.
“Our new reverse osmosis will help increase productivity by allowing us to run sap through quicker, which allows us the ability to continue collecting rather than waiting for our old machine to lower the level of our tank,” Deane said. “In return, it allows us to start boiling our concentrated sap sooner. Upgrading allows us to go from processing 1,000 gallons an hour to 1,800 gallons an hour [while] reducing energy cost.”
In the case of the maple vacuum on Cranston’s Tree Farm, Cranston said the money went toward a vacuum and a tank level monitoring system. He said the addition of the sensors makes the operation more efficient when it comes to wood management, and the farm operators can view the level of the tank on their phones instead of manually checking.
Deane said these grants are important for Franklin County and the surrounding counties, as programs like it support the future of farming. Cranston added that with the price of new equipment being as high as it is, grant programs such as the Climate Smart Agriculture Program make it possible for farms to operate with updated equipment, without needing to spend an arm and a leg.
“I’m glad that the opportunity is out there, that MDAR is able to get together and provide these grants in Massachusetts to farmers statewide,” Cranston said, “to allow us to stay in business, to further our ability to make more efficient decisions and ultimately keeping farms viable in the state.”
Deerfield
Three Deerfield farms earned grants, including Clarkdale Fruit Farms, which received $23,760 to install 25.97 kilowatts of solar panels on the roof of the barn beside the cold storage room.
“The sun is always shining. It just makes a lot more sense than fossil fuels,” said Ben Clark, the fourth-generation owner of Clarkdale Fruit Farms. Plus, as the source of energy for the farm, “It’s going to pay for itself,” he said.
Clark said he is thankful for the state’s support. He described the grant as an acknowledgment from State House officials that investing in farms not only means supporting the scenic views, but the farmers who are fighting food insecurity. From Rachel’s Table to Stone Soup Café and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Clarkdale Fruit Farms contributes to local organizations that are dedicated to feeding locals who need it most.
“We’re trying to do our part,” he said.
Across town, the state provided $50,000 for Atlas Farm to buy and install a new walk-in cooler to help the farm control the temperature of its products and reduce spoilage and the risk of contamination, according to the state’s announcement. The farm also earned $39,200 for a no-till drill to improve soil health on the farm’s fields.
The Yazwinski Farm Partnership also received $50,000 for a similar no-till drill.
Leyden
With $50,000 from the state program, Bree-Z-Knoll Farm plans to buy a manure spreader. According to the state’s announcement, the new equipment should improve the management of manure and nutrients, and protect the farm’s soil and water while boosting efficiency.
Orange
The Farm School Inc., a nonprofit educational agriculture organization, used a $6,960 reimbursement grant to purchase a compost screener to sift out larger items from unfinished compost meant for garden beds.
“It will allow us to make our own potting soil for the greenhouse,” said Patrick Connors, the organization’s facilities and operations director. He estimated that producing its own potting soil, made up mostly of compost, will likely save The Farm School $1,500 to $2,000 per year.
Connors said any material destined for compost ages for a year before it is used. The larger components that are sifted out by the screener will be set aside to continue aging. Rocks, however, will be discarded, he said.
“This just helps us make an even better product,” Connors said of the screener.
He said applying for the state grant was a collaborative effort by people at The Farm School, which has an Athol mailing address, despite its location in Orange.
Sunderland
With its $30,654, Kitchen Garden Farm’s team plans to install solar panels.
Like Kitchen Garden Farm, Reed Farm received $30,702 to install solar panels on the roof of one of its buildings. According to the state’s announcement, the solar panels are expected to generate 17.94 kilowatts of energy at a time. The solar panels will power the farm’s refrigeration units that store poultry products, offsetting that expense, said Kat Chang, who owns the farm with her husband Peter Laznicka.
“We’ve wanted it for a while, and now it’s happening,” Chang said, “so it’s very exciting.”
The state also awarded Reed Farm another $25,480 for a manure spreader. With manure from the chickens and ducks that the couple raises being the “starting ingredient” for compost, Chang expects the new tool will ensure the compost remains “nutrition-dense.” She added that she and Laznicka “try to close that loop” of waste on the farm by composting and repurposing other leftovers from the farmers’ daily operations.
“It’s keeping that material local,” Chang said. “Otherwise, we’d be paying to truck it and it would just be more trash, instead of something that’s actually really usable.”
Chang stressed that investments in local farms branch out to benefit the entire community.
“We’re really fortunate that Massachusetts has such a dedicated agricultural department. Our small farms are what protect our land — it’s an ecological effort, it’s feeding our communities. The stronger our local food infrastructure is, the more secure food can be for the state, and that really comes down to local farms,” Chang said. “We’re so grateful to not just the state for having this kind of programming available to local farms, but also we’re lucky that in western Mass., people really understand and value local farms and local foods. … That support makes all the difference.”
Warwick
Like many other recipients, Chase Hill Farm plans to install a 25.97-kilowatt solar energy system with its $50,000 grant.
Whately
Sobieski’s River Valley Farm received $20,110 for a mulch spreader, an investment that should strengthen soil health and build climate resilience, according to the state’s announcement.
