Awardees
Round One Implementation Grant Awardees
NCLC is delighted to announce round one of the Building Resiliency Implementation Grant awardees.
- Beavertides Farm (Falls Village) will receive $17,000 to develop silvopasture through the purchase of tree seedlings and establishment materials, and to enhance rotational grazing of their sheep and beef cows through fencing. The integration of forestry and rotational grazing enhances biodiversity and allows pastures to sequester more carbon. Silvopasture also improves livestock health through protection from extreme weather patterns.
- Canaan View Dairy/CowPots (East Canaan) will receive $5,000 to conduct a feasibility study, the first step in receiving funding for a new anaerobic digester. Anaerobic digesters reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capturing methane produced from livestock waste. They provide a renewable source of energy that can decrease the farm’s reliance on fossil fuels and lower operational costs.
- Joon Gardens (Newtown) will receive $6,000 to remove invasives surrounding the farm and plant native perennial shrubs and trees. Replacing invasive species with perennials protects the farm’s biodiversity, ensuring that native plants and ecosystems thrive, while enhancing soil health through deep root systems.
- Maple Bank Farm (Roxbury) will receive $10,000 to purchase a raised bed mulch layer with a fertilizer hopper. This equipment streamlines the planting process, reducing tillage passes and minimizing soil disturbance. Targeted nutrient delivery to the plant prevents nutrient losses to the environment and saves costs.
- Northwest Corner Farm (Winchester) will receive $14,000 to establish a windbreak to protect the hilltop farm, and develop and expand pollinator habitat. These plantings reduce erosion, enhance soil health, and provide food and shelter for wildlife and pollinators.
- Smokedown Farm (Sharon) will receive $30,000 to purchase fencing to enhance rotational grazing of sheep and beef cattle around a 9-acre hopyard and additional pastures. This project helps integrate crops and livestock, reducing chemical inputs through nutrient cycling and pest management. Rotational grazing restores soil and pasture health, promoting carbon sequestration.
- TheCBGGurus (Harwinton) will receive $12,000 to purchase a rainwater storage tank, soil moisture sensors, and microirrigation. Rainwater storage tanks help capture and store rainwater for irrigation throughout the season, reducing farm energy needs. Moisture sensors and microirrigation promote efficient application and water conservation.
- Thy Neighbors Farm (Torrington) will receive $20,000 to purchase portable fencing, stock tank, shelter, and other equipment to rotationally graze their growing flock of Katahdin sheep. Through the movement of livestock between paddocks, rotational grazing helps forages recover, facilitates manure distribution, improves soils, and reduces fuel and chemical use to manage fields.
Shovel-Ready Awardees
While developing the Building Resiliency program, NCLC worked with partner land trusts Steep Rock Association, Flanders Nature Center and Land Trust, Bridgewater Land Trust, Sharon Land Trust, and others to learn about potential shovel-ready projects on farms in their communities. As a result, NCLC has selected the following projects for implementation grants:
- Van Vleck Farm (Woodbury), owned by Flanders Nature Center and Land Trust, will receive just under $33,000 to install a solar array, supplying power to lights, incubators, fans, and fencing at its North Barn complex, as well as the farm store and workshop. This renewable energy source will offset over 20,000 pounds of CO2 equivalent per year.
Waldingfield Farm (Washington) will receive $50,000 to install two high tunnels for vegetable production. High tunnels help farmers adapt to climate change by shielding plants from extreme weather conditions such as heavy rains, strong winds, and unexpected frosts. They can reduce the need for chemical inputs, promote soil health practices, and conserve water.
Averill Farm (Washington) will receive $50,000 to install a high tunnel around the farm’s blueberries and raspberries that they use for prepared foods. This project will protect the plants from new and invasive pests, such as Spotted Wing Drosophila, reducing the need for chemical pesticides.
Climate-Smart Agricultural Assessment Awardees
NCLC has selected the following farms for assessments:
- Adamah Farm (Falls Village)
- Autumn Harvest Orchard (Norfolk)
- Babbling Brook Farm (Sherman)
- Bill Blass Preserve (New Preston)
- Fort Hill Farm (New Milford)
- Foxhole Farm (Washington)
- Frazier Farm (Woodbury)
- Good Hill Farm and Ox Hollow Farm (Roxbury)
- Great Ring Farm (Sandy Hook)
- Hathor Hill Farm (Lakeside)
- Lakeside Farm (Lakeside)
- Milde Farm (Litchfield)
- Northwest Corner Farm (Winsted)
- Ridgway Farm (Cornwall)
- Smokedown Farm (Sharon)
- Smyrski Farm (New Milford)
- TheCBGGurus (Harwinton)
- Conundrum Farm and Marble Valley Farm (Kent)
Last updated 9/30/24