In late October a 400 panel solar installation was completed on the roof of the Food Hub in Hardwick. Part of the Hardwick Yellow Barn and Business Accelerator project, the Food Hub is operated by the Center for Agriculture Economy (CAE) and opened in March of this year when CAE moved its Farm Connex program into the facility. 

CAE designed the Food Hub with energy efficiency and the environment in mind, their facility supports the needs of farms, food businesses, and the community with tangible, climate-forward infrastructure. The solar panels, installed by Green Mountain Solar, are the final piece of a four-part efficient heating, cooling, and power system for the facility. The Food Hub’s refrigeration system uses CO2 instead of freon, which does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. CAE invested in this refrigeration technology to power the 5,000 square feet of cooler and freezer space. This space allows for the expansion of Farm Connex and CAE is able to offer cold and frozen storage to farmers. Furthermore, the scale of refrigeration at the Food Hub allows for heat recapture to occur, taking what would otherwise be waste heat from the refrigeration compressors and turning it into the primary heat source for the facility. The other two climate conscious investments include heat pump hot water heaters and high efficiency wood pellet boilers. The Northeast Kingdom Development Corporation (NEKDC) is the nonprofit who manages the full Yellow Barn project. NEKDC member and Chair of the Hardwick Selectboard, Eric Remick, believes “CAE has done an amazing job in building out the Food Hub within the new Yellow Barn Accelerator space.” He continues,  “From the inception of the Yellow Barn project, the goals have included fostering growth of new and existing agricultural and food businesses. By bringing solar power generation to the project, CAE emphasizes the important role of sustainability in fostering growth.” 

The Food Hub increases access to markets and infrastructure for farms and food producers during a critical  time when federal funding cuts for local food purchasing begins to impact the region. CAE followed through on their commitment to complete the renewable energy project at the Food Hub despite the loss of $250,000 in previously secured federal grant funding for the solar array. CAE’s Executive Director, Jon Ramsay says, “The solar array will provide long-term environmental benefits and play a crucial role in the sustainability of this critical new piece of local food system infrastructure. It will also help keep costs down for the farms using the facility, which is a direct benefit to their operations. It marks an important milestone in CAE’s commitment to being a good steward of the land.” 

CAE’s resolve for a climate forward facility despite federal funding cuts and policy changes is a commitment to responsible stewardship of the land for farms, food businesses, and the community. CAE’s programs and facilities directly impact thousands of people: Hundreds of jobs and over $20 million dollars of local food economic activity is generated from CAE’s work annually, and CAE will continue to support the people, farms, and food businesses who rely on these services.