When dairyman Al Abrahamson of rural Lindstrom first read about grant funding available to rural communities to ease their transition to renewable energy, his interest was piqued. He went on-line to learn more. It turns out, the grant money was part of the Rural Energy for America (REAP) Program, which targets rural small businesses, making it possible for them to install renewable energy systems, save money and reduce emissions that contribute to climate change.
Al and his wife, Sue, operate a small, family-owned dairy farm northwest of Lindstrom. Al’s grandfather bought the farm in 1929; his son took over operations in 1955; and in 1992, Al and Sue became the third generation to care for the productive farm. They milk 95 cows. The milk is transferred to the creamery at Ellsworth, Wisconsin, where it is transformed into squeaky cheese curds and blocks of cheddar.
The Abrahamsons’ entire operation is run on electricity, from the vacuum milking system to the cooling tanks, the silo unloader for feeding, the fans for ventilation and the heaters to keep drinking water thawed in the winter. The profit margin for small dairy farms is always slim. Al and Sue saw an opportunity to reduce operating costs by generating their own electricity.
Eventually, they hired a professional grant writer out of Indiana to deal with the 45-page grant application and who interviewed the company which eventually installed the 134 solar panels atop three farm buildings, Cedar Creek Energy, based in Blaine, Minnesota.
REAP received a big infusion of funds when Congress passed the gargantuan Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022 ( see The Current Sept/Oct 2022 “What is in the ‘Climate’ Bill?”) . Overseen by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, REAP hosts quarterly competitions for small, and not-so-small grants to rural businesses. The Act apportioned over 2 billion dollars to REAP to further renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The Abrahamson grant was a small portion of the funds specified for Minnesota projects.
The panels were installed in December 2023, so the farm has not yet experienced solar power at its summer peak. Al expects the panels to supply 100% of their electrical needs, and excess production is sold back to East Central Energy at retail price.
The nearly century-old Abrahamson farm has a sunny future and it’s not just due to a cloudless blue sky.
The following Abrahamson Project photos courtesy of Cedar Creek Energy and Sue Abrahamson.
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