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Biofuel Crops at Hancock Shaker Village
Hancock Shaker Village is participating in a 3 year project to plant, harvest, and evaluate the yield of crops that can be used to make biofuels. The project , managed by UMass research professors, uses crops that are not suitable for food production, and on land that is either not currently being used for food production.
To discover how the crops fare in varying soil types and weather patterns, crops are being grown at the UMass Amherst Research and Education Center trial crop farm in Deerfield, at Hancock Shaker Village and at privately owned farms throughout Massachusetts. Through the program, researchers will determine exactly how much care the crops require, including the expense to grow and harvest them. Findings will be used to encourage farmers to grow biofuel crops, and to help ensure that Massachusetts continues to be a leader in the current effort to develop alternative and renewable/sustainable energies.
In a reclaimed Shaker garden area, adjacent to the Meetinghouse and fronting busy Rte. 20, Hancock Shaker Village planted just under 1 acre of these biofuel crops:
Crambe (Crambe abssinica)
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
Passers-by may have noticed the stately sunflowers as they grew and blossomed in the summer sun, behind which the other two field crops took root and grew. The HSV crops are now being harvested as a demonstration for visitors, and brought to UMass where the biofuel yield will be examined.
Hancock Shaker Village is proud to participate in this program as a new way to show how the Shakers lived a Principled Life, including how the renewable energy and sustainable agricultural practices of the Shakers are still relevant today. Our farm & garden crews from Soldier On/Elder Services and BCARC have been involved in tending the crops, a wonderful collaborative effort with positive local community impact.
Hancock Shaker Village offers a great educational component to this project – all season long we incorporate this modern renewable energy and sustainable agriculture initiative into our daily and seasonal programming – helping to bridge the gap between past, present, and the potential for the future.
Collaborating Organizations: Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation from the Green Pastures Fund, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Berkshire Biodiesel, Mass. Technology Collaborative, Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources, Mass. Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs, Mass. Division of Energy Resources.
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