In the heart of rural Wisconsin, Tony Schultz knows a thing or two about the unifying power of a shared moment. As he sat watching his daughter play softball on a warm summer evening, surrounded by neighbors, Schultz reflected on how community gatherings are not just a tradition, but a cornerstone of small town life. A rare moment away from work — it gave him an idea of how he might create a gathering space of his own.

He knew whatever he created, he needed to make it work within his existing operation. 

“I feel like my work as a farmer is really maxed out,” he said. “I’m working an average of 68, 70 hours a week in the summer, from March until Thanksgiving, and I don’t feel like I can add a lot of capacity to what I’m doing unless I change the nature of my business.”

Stoney Acres Farm near Athens, Wisconsin is highly diversified. The farm offers pastured meat sales and a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Now, thanks to Schultz’s ingenuity and desire for rural third spaces, on Fridays and Saturdays Schultz opens the farm as a brewery and serves up Pizza on the Farm. He hosts music and also sells his pizzas frozen. 

The wheat, mushrooms, meat, and vegetables are all from Stoney Acres, and cheese comes from local cheese makers and artisans from around Wisconsin. “I want to remain intentionally small,” Schultz said. “So my goal with investment has been to lower my fixed costs.”

The first fixed cost Schultz turned to was his electricity bill.  Schultz put in an 8.3 kilowatt solar system in 2013. “At that point, we received a REAP grant from the federal government.” The Rural Energy For America Program (REAP) initiative, launched as part of the 2008 Farm Bill, received additional money from the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022.

“Since the initial installation of those solar panels, I have added lot of capacity to my farm and felt the need for more generation,” Schultz said. So he added an 18-kilowatt solar system.

“I need a lot of cooler capacity, freezer capacity,” he continued. More pizzas means more storage. His power needs include cooling for three fermenters, a walk-in freezer, 13 chest freezers, two coolers, a partially electric car, and an electric lawnmower.

Schultz decided to fit as many solar panels on his roof as possible. His new panels have a more streamlined appearance and are 30-40 percent more efficient than his first panels, with micro-inverters built into each panel.

A $20,000 REAP grant and several thousand from a Wisconsin state Focus on Energy grant helped fund about half of this year’s installation.  

Schultz wants to spread the word. “The panels are doing their job, and given that REAP grants and Focus on Energy grants are still available, I highly recommend them as an investment for rural businesses.” 

After installing the 18-kilowatt system, his electric bills decreased from nearly $800 in September of 2023 to $45 in March of 2024. 

It saved about $500 a month, more than he expected. Schultz sees federal grants like REAP as incentives that help his small business flourish. With the money he saves as a small business owner, he can save for retirement or purchase health insurance.

“I’m trying to limit my fixed costs, trying to find smarter ways to buy bulk,” he said. “Like putting on solar panels and having an electric car so I don’t have to pay for gas. I don’t want to pay for things that I have to pay for every time. So it’s finding and making investments ahead of the curve.”

He said the “drudgery” of paperwork discourages many people from applying for opportunities like REAP. “You just have to look at it as an input, like it’s an opportunity cost,” he said. “It’s just such a dramatic payback. I feel like this is just a no-brainer.”

For Schultz, the tangible impact of the REAP grant not only bolstered his farm’s resilience, but also sparked innovative ideas for community engagement. From educational workshops on sustainable farming to supporting local events with fresh produce and artisanal goods, Schultz sees these savings as a means to enrich and sustain the vibrant fabric of rural life he deeply values.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), passed by the 117th Congress and signed by President Biden, is a piece of federal legislation that aims to reduce inflation by lowering the cost of prescription medications, investing in domestic energy production, and promoting clean energy, among other objectives.