Paradox Acres in Dartmouth will receive nearly $18,000 in grant funds to improve its composting operation in 2025 as part of an overall agricultural program aimed at maximizing farm production.

The $17,812.50 award will be used for the purchase of a compost spreader.

The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced on Dec. 23 that it secured $3.6 million in more than 100 grant awards through several farming programs, including the Agricultural Food Safety Improvement Program, the Agricultural Composting Improvement Program, the Cranberry Bog Renovation Program and the Climate Smart Agriculture Program. 

These grants, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, provide funding to local farmers. The funding supports farmers in meeting strict food safety standards, improving soil health and management through composting, sustaining cranberry growing operations and adapting to changing climate conditions. It also enhances their contributions to the state’s carbon reduction and climate change mitigation goals.

The Agricultural Composting Improvement Program funds equipment and projects to improve agricultural composting practices and facilitate the use of compost as a valuable soil amendment on farms. The department also provides technical assistance to farms conducting agricultural composting and encourages farms to use compost as a soil amendment or manure management tool.