Renewable Energy at Cider Hill Farm

We operate 3 wind turbines
Our banks of solar cells help provide power to all our buildings
Two 1,000,000 btu wood boilers heat as many as 8 greenhouses

On many levels, we believe it is of great importance to evaluate renewable energy sources which make economic sense for our farm and install them using available grant and funding opportunities through the Mass Technology Collaborative (MTC), Mass Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and Berkshire Pioneer RC&D . To date, we have installed three 10kW Bergey wind turbines, and by the summer of 2010, nearly 62kW of solar panels. This is over 300 panels, bringing our total on-farm electricity production to over 100,000kWh's a year, 80% of our total farm usage.

We believe we are the first farm in Massachusetts to have completed installation of 3 wind turbines.

We have also installed 3 outdoor wood boilers capable of heating 2 homes and 8 greenhouses. This system will save a substantial amount of fuel oil and propane, and uses a resource harvested from our own forest and orchard renewal program.

Our goal is to be as energy independent as we can be going forward while reducing any negative impact we are having on our environment.

Farms are in a unique position to be able to move forward on these projects because we have the land resources necessary, as well as some exemptions regarding agricultural buildings and equipment. Most of us also strongly believe it is our calling to take care of our land, our water, and our air.