Cars at grain facility at E Deerfield & other questions

Hi all

We got to East Deerfield yard yesterday for the first time in a while. We saw some covered hoppers at the big, seemingly abandonded grain (?) facility. We haven't seen anything parked there for some time. There was something that looked like a bulldozer in front of them.

Just what is that facility, who owns it, and is it up and running again?

While I'm at it, why are they clearing some land across from the "parking lot"... well, the "railfan parking lot"...

http://photos.nerail.org/photos/2006090312215118851.jpg

I think the facility is bringing in and bagging Wood Pellets for home heating fuel.

roberttosh wrote:I think the facility is bringing in and bagging Wood Pellets for home heating fuel.

That's correct. They're shipped from British Columbia by Pacific Northwest Wood, which has leased 12 covered hoppers and hopes to have up to 50 at the end of the year. The facility was formerly United Cooperative Farmers (UCF) and purchased by Pacific Northwest in April.
(Source; Atlantic Northeast Rails and Ports)