Riverside Maple Farms became Upstate New York's first maple farm to convert to 100 percent solar energy on Monday.

"Trees are the heart of our business," said Erica Welch, co-owner of Riverside Maple Farms.

Owners Chris and Erica Welch, along with representatives from the USDA, Kasselman Solar, Congressman Paul Tonko, Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh, a representative from Sen. Jim Tedisco's office, Discover Schenectady tourism director Becky Daniels and others, ceremoniously "flipped the switch" just in time for Earth Day.

"Being able to put in the solar, to be a responsible steward and provide clean natural energy to make our syrup, to run our kitchen, to keep the lights on for our visitors, that's -- it just embodies what it is that we do," Welch said.

Riverside may be the first local farm and one of the only maple farms in the U.S. to tap into solar energy, but across the country, the USDA's 2017 Census of Agriculture, just released on April 11 starts renewable source usage on farms and ranches is up 132 percent.

"I think it's really cool, really progressive," said Glenville Town Supervisor Chris Keotzle. "It's important that we lessen our footprint here, obviously."

Keotzle says the step Riverside Maple is taking is just the first for the town of Glenville.

"We at the town are doing the same," Keotzle said. "We're gonna be building two solar farms to power the town and we're very excited ... It's gonna be a community solar project, so the town will take its energy from that solar farm, the excess will be sold on the market to the residents for those want to buy green energy, and so they'll have an opportunity to benefit from it as well."

And Welch says while solar energy fits their farm's model well, there is another sweet reward.

"It's something that makes sense both from an environmental perspective, but also from a business perspective," Welch said.

Because at the end of the day, the Welches want to make sure their farm is "Grade-A" for years to come.

"Maple, as a tradition, is generational, and this is a foundation of being generational," Welch said.

Riverside Maple Farms opened to the public in 2017.