Officials Tour Farms Awarded REAP Grants

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

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