Barnstable Land Trust
Barnstable Land Trust (BLT) protects the places people love for current and future generations through conservation, care, education, and inspiration. In recent years, the BLT vision has expanded beyond acquiring land for protection to include a focus on how we use conservation land for food, habitat, and helping people engage and stay well.
In 2022, Barnstable Land Trust constructed a new barn on the property of their Fuller Farm, a 22-acre field and woodland in Marstons Mills that BLT conserved in 2012. BLT has begun bringing back the historic agricultural use of the farm in the last several years, beginning with a permaculture garden, pollinator field, and grazing for goats. The new barn includes a post and beam structure and serves two main functions: it will house BLT’s stewardship operations, providing a garage for land management and equipment, and it will provide an educational workshop space.
The TernSOLAR challenge grant will support the installation of a 6.4 kW solar system on the roof of the new barn at Fuller Farm, along with a solar electric vehicle charging station to be purchased and installed at the BLT headquarters nearby. The solar system will provide electricity for the barn, as well as the main headquarters. Matching funds came from the Donald C. McGraw Foundation, which supported farm education programming and an alternative septic system with enhanced environmental sensitivity.
Grant Amount: $20,000
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We’re thrilled to be a part of the renewable energy movement with rooftop solar on the new barn at Fuller Farm in Marston Mills, where the goal is to honor the agricultural history of the property. In addition to serving as a role model to the community, we can reinvest our electricity cost savings into a workshop program, helping to educate the public not only about the past, but also about the future of environmental sustainability, including renewable energy sources like solar power.
— JANET MILKMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR