Raising Cane Ranch Switched to Solar: Find Out If You Can Too!

Are you interested in renewable energy for your farm or rural small business? Snohomish and Pierce Conservation Districts have teamed up with Spark Northwest to help farms and rural small businesses apply for grant funds for renewable energy and energy efficient projects through the Rural Energy Development Program.

Nick Pate, owner of Raising Cane Ranch, took advantage of the program to install solar power on his farm. 

“We ended up with 60 panels on our roof and the grant covered about half the cost,” explains Nick.

Raising Cane Ranch is now powered entirely by solar energy. 

“It can be hard for people to imagine paying that upfront cost because you’re not getting something tangible like a tractor,” says Nick. “But there’s a long-term financial benefit. And the grant makes it a lot more affordable.”

“You can also get a battery backup with solar,” he adds. “That can be a real advantage, especially for farms with refrigeration. If you have a power outage, you’re not going to lose all your produce. You have a source of power without relying on the grid.”

If you own a farm or rural small business, you may be able to:

• receive financial assistance to switch to renewable energy

• save money by making your system more efficient

To learn more, email Joe Crumbley at jcrumbley@snohomishcd.org or visit snocd.org/usdareap for more information. 

To find out if you’re located in an eligible region, please visit eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov.