Building a More Resilient Future – Our New Wood Boiler Project

A Big Step Forward for Farm Resilience

This year, Misty Brook Farm received a 50% cost-share Implementation Grant through Maine Farmland Trust’s Farming for the Long Haul program. With that support, we were finally able to move ahead on a project we’ve talked about for years: installing a new wood boiler system that will make the farm more resilient for the long haul.

The building isn’t finished yet and nothing is hooked up, but the concrete is poured, the boiler is set, and the structure is going up. It feels good to see this one starting to take shape.

Why a Wood Boiler? Sustainability That Fits Maine

Propane is expensive and we use a lot of it to heat hot water. It has always been one of our biggest expenses and relying on fuel that comes from far outside our community never felt quite right. Heating with wood lets us use a resource that is renewable, abundant, and truly part of Maine.

One cord of hemlock gives us about the same heat as 215 gallons of propane, which will make a long-term difference for the farm.

We’ll also be able to use the wood ash from the boiler on our fields — closing the loop in a way that fits our values and how we like to farm. It’s simply using what Maine naturally provides: heat from the forests around us.

Supporting Local Jobs and the Local Economy

Another piece that matters to us: switching to wood means we can hire local people to help cut and split the firewood. Instead of sending money out of state for propane, those dollars stay right here in our community.

For a family farm built around local food and local relationships, this feels like the right direction.

Warmth Where It Matters Most

Once everything is connected, the wood boiler will heat and provide hot water for a few key areas around the farm:
•Milking parlor
•Milk room uses lots of hot water to clean our glass bottles.
•Workshop
•Our winter piglet nursery uses gentle radiant heat to keep February newborns warm, reducing the risk of hypothermia and helping protect them from pneumonia.
•Hot water systems, which will let us rely less on electricity and propane

Reliable heat and hot water keeps our animals healthy, keeps equipment working, and keeps daily life on the farm steady through winter.

Where the Project Stands Today

Right now, the building is coming together piece by piece. The pad is poured, the boiler is in place, and the roof is on where the firewood will be stored. The next steps are installing the heat exchangers and pumps (lines,) making the connections, and getting everything ready to fire up.

We’ll share updates along the way as things progress.

Looking Ahead

This boiler is more than a heating system — it’s an investment in the future of Misty Brook Farm. With the help of Maine Farmland Trust, we’re building something that’s renewable, community-supported, and designed to last.

We’re grateful for the support and excited to keep moving this project forward for the seasons and years ahead.