Sparling Rd.
Saugerties, NY
4.11 MW
770 Homes Powered
5,192 Tons
Removed
The Athanas Farm sits on 184-acres in Hyde Park, New York and has operated for nearly 100 years. The farm was founded by Mike Athanas, a Turkish immigrant, who after being deployed in WWI, returned to the Hudson Valley to start a farm. Mike Athanas and his family raised hogs and chickens throughout the Great Depression and used food scraps from local hotels in the area to get by.
In the 1960s, the farm transitioned to a dairy farm, which operated until the late 1990s. Since then, the farm has expanded into vegetable and hay production as well as a boarding facility for horses. Mike’s granddaughter is in the process of taking over the farm and has always dreamt of opening a horse sanctuary for retired police and active duty horses.
Challenges They Faced
Over the years, the Athanas family has struggled to make ends meet and diversify their crop offering as the farm sits mostly on non-arable agriculture land, thus limiting it to livestock and growing hay. With the rising costs of farming inputs such as fertilizers and fungicides, the farm and the Athanas family were just getting by.
Maintaining Legacy
By partnering with Lightstar, the Athanas farm will live on for 30+ more years as a family-owned farm, the way Mike’s father intended it. Installing a solar array on the farm has brought a reliable stream of income to the family, providing them with the means to continue operating the farm and fulfilling Mike’s granddaughter’s dream of opening a horse sanctuary. With the newfound financial security from hosting a Lightstar community solar farm, the Athanas Family is able to continue their farming legacy, all while offering a home for much deserving horses.
