For over 25 years, Jamie Snyder has been growing certified organic produce on his small farm in Eagle Bridge, New York. Like all North Country farmers, Jamie monitors every expense at Happenchance Farm, where he has been watching energy costs rise over the last few years.
In 2024, Jamie turned to ANCA for assistance applying to the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to install a rooftop solar array that
would lower the farm’s electricity costs. With guidance from ANCA, Happenchance Farm secured a grant in early 2025 that would cover half the cost of the project. By summer, the new 10.2-kilowatt solar array was up and running.
The system is expected to generate nearly 11,900 kilowatt hours of electricity each year — offsetting about 90 percent of the farm’s annual energy use. Since the installation, Jamie has already seen a significant reduction in utility bills, freeing up resources that can be reinvested in the farm’s future.
For farms operating on thin margins, projects like this can make a meaningful difference. By helping farmers navigate complex funding opportunities, ANCA is making energy-efficiency upgrades more accessible for small farms, while bolstering the long-term viability of local food businesses. These efforts are helping reduce operating costs, improve farm stability, and strengthen our local food system and the communities that depend on it.
