Full Belly Farm, Inc. is a certified organic 450-acre farm located in Yolo County that sustainably grows more than 100 different crops. By investing in sustainable energy production, carbon sequestration through good soil management, cover crop production, and efficiency, Full Belly Farm, Inc. is working to lower their greenhouse gas emissions. A leader in on-farm production of value-added products such as jams, sauces, oils, dried goods, baked goods, and wheat products like pizza dough and pasta, Full Belly Farm, Inc. employs at least 80 people year-round, supporting more than 20 local families.
The California Energy Commission’s Renewable Energy for Agriculture Program awarded a $75,976 grant to the farm, with a 100 percent match commitment from the recipient. Completed and fully operational in August 2020, the project includes a new 61 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic energy system that produces enough energy to reduce Full Belly Farm’s total annual energy costs by 50 percent and two Level-2, 10 kW electric vehicle charging stations. These chargers supply power to electric farming vehicles and are available to employees and visitors. The system reduces peak loads on the electrical grid and helps Full Belly Farms meet its goal of 100 percent renewable energy usage.
Owner Paul Muller describes the project as, “a great investment. We have been able to cut our energy for refrigeration of our fresh vegetable crops by 80 percent and aggregate meters for water pumping. This single installation offsets power usage on three different electrical distribution lines. The other benefit of producing power during the day is that we can offset grid peak power - the most expensive power - with our own production resulting in even greater savings on our power bill.”
Program: California Energy Commission’s Renewable Energy for Agriculture Program
Grantee: Full Belly Farm, Inc.
Funding amount: $75,976
County: Yolo
Estimated Benefits over Project Lifetime
Estimated GHG emissions reductions: 1,083 MTCO2e over the life of the project
Estimated Energy Generation: 2,861,340 kWh
Estimated criteria air pollutant emissions reductions: 630 pounds
