Photo voltaic Array and Conservations Initiatives at 3 Porch Farm  — The Dust

On Oct. 31, 2022, Georgia Organics hosted over 25 individuals at 3 Porch Farm in Comer, GA, for a farmer discipline day.

The occasion centered on the numerous advantages of on-farm photo voltaic power and conservation tasks for local weather change resiliency. Mandy and Steve O’Shea, house owners of the farm, jumped proper into issues. Knowledgeable by their expertise, they shared methods to finest supply and set up photo voltaic panels on a farm. The O’Sheas additionally lined how the USDA Rural Power for America (REAP) grant and the Federal Tax Credit score offset the price of their photo voltaic set up. The farm house owners even shared their breakdown of related prices and financial savings to element how farmers in attendance might observe the method.

Mandy and Steve mentioned the numerous conservation tasks 3 Porch Farm has applied with the help of the Pure Sources Conservation Service (NRCS). Particularly, we mentioned how the Environmental High quality Incentives Program (EQIP) was a useful useful resource for the farm. NRCS agent, Bryan Barrett, was additionally readily available to elucidate this system and methods to apply.

We organized the sector day so attendees would depart with the next:

• A greater understanding of solar-power advantages for a nine-acre, Georgia farm

• How this solar-based sustainable operation does/doesn’t translate to their farm

• Examples of actual on-farm photo voltaic tasks, funded by the REAP grant

• A top level view of concerns, prices, challenges, and finest practices for putting in photo voltaic

• How you can apply for the REAP grant & Federal photo voltaic tax credit score

• Examples of on-farm infrastructure, funded by the EQIP grant

• An understanding of EQIP’s Excessive Tunnel Initiative

• Realizing in the event that they qualify for EQIP and, in that case, what tasks to pick out