Ohio Operations Active In Energy Program
September 29, 2009 | Applicant Name |
Grant Requested | Loan Requested | Technology |
| Mapleview Farms, Inc. | $9,525 | Greenhouse Heater Replacement | |
| Corso’s Perennials | $74,897 | Wind Turbine: Small | |
| Coram Flora (on behalf of Green Circle Growers) | $7,500,000 | Biomass Fuel Switch | |
| Knitz Greenhouse | $14,180 | $19,851 | Wind Turbine: Small |
| Eagle Creek Wholesale | $25,679 | Wind Turbine: Small | |
| Mohican Gardens | $20,000 | Geothermal Heating System | |
| Webb Perennials | $7,865 | Biomass Fired Boiiler |
USDA awarded nearly $12 million in funding this year to Ohio growers and farmers as part of its Rural Energy For America Program (REAP), and at least seven Ohio greenhouse operations were recipients of USDA funds.
REAP loan guarantees and grants can be used for renewable energy systems, energy-efficiency improvements, feasibility studies and energy audits. More information about the REAP, which was authorized under the 2008 Farm Bill, is available at: www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/farmbill/index.html.
In Ohio alone, our industry received nearly two-thirds of the $12 million in funding awarded to businesses, in large part because of the $7.5 million awarded to Coram Flora on behalf of Top 100 Grower Green Circle Growers. Green Circle Growers is committed to biomass.
Another Ohio greenhouse and nursery operation, Mohican Gardens located in Loudonville, Ohio, was granted $20,000 for a geothermal heating system. Three other operations–Corso’s Perennials, Knitz Greenhouse and Eagle Creek Wholesale–received funds for small wind turbines. Mapleview Farms and Webb Perennials respectively received funds to replace a greenhouse heater and to add a biomass-fired boiler.
According to USDA and Ohio Rural Development, recipients from 44 other states and Puerto Rico shared $62.5 million in loans and grants that encompassed 705 renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects.
“Posting such an increase in the number of projects that were approved is a true confirmation that our outreach efforts were effectively targeted,” says Beth Huhn, acting director of Ohio Rural Development. “These are more than just numbers, they’re actual Ohio business owners who will make their businesses more efficient and profitable by using the REAP as it was designed.”
See the table for more information on the funding Ohio greenhouse operations received.
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