Regenerative Farming Meets Renewable Energy: Pat’s Pastured

Pat’s Pastured, a family-owned and operated farm located in East Greenwich, is paving the way for clean energy and sustainable agriculture. Since 2002, Patrick and Kelly McNiff have built their business on a shared passion for regenerative farming practices and environmental stewardship. Dedicated to raising livestock in harmony with nature, Pat’s Pastured proudly provides 100% grass-fed cattle and pasture-raised chickens, ducks, turkeys, and pigs, enriching both the land and the quality of food they produce. 

Pat’s Pastured is based on Boesch Farm, leased from the Town of East Greenwich. With over 150 acres of green pasture and woodlots across Rhode Island, the farm’s organic and regenerative practices help support soil health and protect the local ecosystem. 

“With my experience bringing vegetable gardens to urban areas and Kelly’s background in education, we set out together to build a regenerative farm and provide wholesome food for our community,” shared Patrick.  “We’re passionate about raising the highest quality pastured and grass-fed meats, enriching our land with regenerative methods, and raising our livestock as nature intended.” 

In 2016, Pat’s Pastured deepened its commitment to sustainability by applying to the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources’ Agricultural Energy Grant Program (RI AgEP). After receiving an energy audit, they opted to upgrade their walk-in refrigeration and freezer system, expanding from an 8x8 to an 8x12 ft freezer, and installing new condensers, compressors, and fans. These upgrades cut the farm’s energy consumption by 16,000 kWh annually, marking a significant step in reducing their environmental footprint. 

“Regenerative farming is so important to both the local and national agriculture landscape.  What’s one of the best ways to ensure we’re using those principles in all aspects of our business?  Solar power!” Patrick says.  “We were so grateful to be able to work with the Energy Office on this project to help not only with our energy costs but helping the farm become more sustainable overall.” 

But they didn’t stop there! From 2017 to 2020, Pat and Kelly re-applied to RI AgEP and were awarded funding to install a series of solar photovoltaic systems, which total 30.96 kW of capacity. While the system offset 100% of the farm’s electricity use four years ago, it currently covers over 60% of their energy needs, supporting a majority of their livestock operations with renewable energy as the farm grows. 

Today, Pat’s Pastured serves as a model for integrating clean energy solutions with sustainable farming, showcasing the benefits of the Ag Energy Grant Program to Rhode Island farms pursuing impactful and ongoing green initiatives. 

“We are honored to have been chosen as one of the grant recipients and look forward to adding to our sustainability and alleviating the energy footprint in our state.” 

For more information about Pat’s Pastured, visit patspastured.com For details on the Agricultural Energy Grant program, visit https://energy.ri.gov/energy-efficiency/farm-energy-programs.