Hudson, NY – Today, local Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand announced that two local farms, Veeder Christmas Tree Farm in Earlton in Greene County and Ronnybrook Farm Dairy in Ancramdale, Columbia County were awarded $23,037 and $30,861 respectively for purchase and installation of alternative energy systems for their farms. 

Veeder Farm will use their grant to install a 20-kilowatt wind turbine on their tree farm that will result in a 1,000 kilowatt surplus that the farm will sell back to the power grid, providing an additional revenue source.  For more than 65 years, Ronnybrook Farm Dairy has been a staple in Columbia County.  With these funds, the dairy farm will be able to reduce their costs by installing a solar water heating system to preheat the water for processing the milk.  This system will allow the farm to replace more than 2,000 gallons of heating oil a year with clean, renewable solar power, greatly reducing costs for the dairy. 

“I am thrilled to announce this important federal funding for two of our local farms,” said Congresswoman Gillibrand, a Member of the House Agriculture Committee.  “At a time when our farmers are facing financial pressure because of high fuel costs, these important funding will allow these farms to not only lower their operational costs but also demonstrate the kind of innovation that new energy technologies can provide our local farms and small businesses.”

“We want to thank Congresswoman Gillibrand for all of her work on this,” said Russell Veeder.  “This is really going to help our farm, because it will help us reduce the cost of our energy.  We are a green business, in Greene County, and this will create green energy.  How can you go wrong?” 

Next month, Congresswoman Gillibrand will be chairing her 2008 Economic Summit concentrating Development and Energy; a follow-up to her economic summit that took place in Saratoga County last Fall.  The economic summit will bring together state agencies, business organizations, local business owners, and community leaders to discuss ways to improve the economy of Upstate New York by encouraging the development of new energy technologies and businesses in the region.