WINCHESTER, N.H. — The Trump Administration recently announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $919,474 in grant funding to farmers, producers and small businesses in New Hampshire under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Manning Hill Farm in Winchester is one of the grant recipients and will use $18,875 of the federal funds to assist in the purchase and installation of a roof-mounted solar array. It is estimated that the renewableenergy project will generate 35,080 kWh annually.
USDA Rural Development New Hampshire State Director Anthony Linardos announced the investment in a recent statement. “For businesses and farms in our rural areas to stay productive and profitable, access to renewable-energy systems and the ability to improve energy efficiency is absolutely crucial,” he said. “This investment in Manning Hill Farm underscores the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Perdue in providing rural small businesses and producers the technology and tools they need to succeed during the coronavirus pandemic and well into the future.”
Manning Hill Farm has been an agricultural staple in the southwestern region of New Hampshire since the 1850s, and distributes its produce and meat to locations within a 30-mile radius including towns in bordering Vermont and Massachusetts. This REAP project will help fund the purchase and installation of a solar array onto a barn roof, and the energy generated is expected to cover the farm’s energy demands and allow for expansion.
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
–USDA Rural Development
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