The U.S. Department of Agriculture is awarding more than $123,000 in alternative energy grants to projects in Vermont's Windham County that convert methane gas into energy and use solar panels to help a dairy farm.
The bulk of the money, $109,000, goes to the Goodell family at Westminster Energy to convert methane gas released from manure from 1,200 cows into power. Westminster produces enough energy to power about 250 homes daily.
The rest of the funds from the USDA Rural Energy for America Program go to Big Picture Farm in Townshend, which produces gourmet caramels from goat milk.
The Brattleboro Reformer reports farm co-owner Lucas Conrad says the grant will help pay for a solar array to provide over half of the farm's dairy and confectionary energy needs.
