Rockwood Farms was one of several farms in Massachusetts to receive an ACRE grant. (Photo from Rockwood Farms)
GRANVILLE – On Friday, Rep. Nick Boldyga’s legislative office announced that Rockwood Farms in Granville would be awarded an ACRE grant through Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
A reimbursement grant program that funds materials and labor to address the agricultural sector’s vulnerability to climate change, the ACRE (Agricultural Climate Resiliency and Efficiencies) program is created to improve economic resiliency.
One of 40 agricultural operations throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Rockwood Farms is receiving $60,000 in order to install heat recovery from the anaerobic digestor they currently possess. Installing the heat recovery will allow Rockwood Farm to heat their hot water. Currently, the farm has a wood boiler that heats their barn and milk room. The heat recovery will allow them to take the heat from the anaerobic digestor to heat the barn. The anaerobic digestor helps reduce input costs and makes better use of the heat, rather than having the heat go up in the smoke stacks and creating potential hazards to the environment.
In May of 2017, Rockwood Farms installed an anaerobic digestor to recycle farm and food waste and generate 450 kilowatts of clean and renewable energy. The digestor converts agricultural and organic waste into renewable energy.
Richard Woodger, who owns Rockwood Farms along with his wife and son, sees the heat recovery as a benefit for his farm.
“It’s a positive thing for me,” said Woodger. “You couldn’t do the project without the help and that’s what these grants are for, and to encourage people to do things like this, we’re very grateful that we can get a grant like this from the state.”
In operation since 1969, Rockwood Farms has 600 cows, ships around 23,000 lbs. of milk each day and also grows 500 acres of corn and 280 acres of hay.
State legislators who represent Granville assisted in the process of providing funding for the $60,000 grant, expressed their thoughts in the recent press release.
“I am glad to be able to work with the Baker-Polito Administration to continue providing support for our farmers in the district,” said State Representative Nick Boldyga. “These grants will provide assistance to Rockwood Farm and will help contribute to clean and renewable energy.”
“Congratulations to Rockwood Farm for being one of the recipients of the ACRE grant,” said State Senator Don Humason. “This funding will provide help to the farm and maximize their operational efforts.”
