Department of Agriculture

NR13-10

HONOLULU – Four Hawaii farms have been awarded a total of $62,000 in federal grants by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help reduce their energy consumption and costs.  Hawaii was one of 22 states that received funding under USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

“With new food safety standards requiring temperature control of produce, rising energy costs are hitting farmers particularly hard,” said Russell S. Kokubun, Chairperson of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture. “Renewable energy technologies are becoming necessities for the majority of food growers and these grants will help make farms more efficient and sustainable.” 

The following are the Hawaii farms receiving funding under this program:

• Kunia Country Farms, LLC (Oahu)	$19,750	Install solar energy system
  Just Green Solutions, LLC/ Kauai Farm Connection (Kauai)	$20,000	Install solar grid tie and batter backup system
  Dan Dong/Harvest Farms, LLC (Oahu)	$17,631	Install solar energy system
  Holbrook Beck/Hanalei Tropicals (Kauai)	$4,619	Install solar energy system

REAP offers financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses to purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. These federal funds leverage other private funding sources. REAP also helps the conservation of natural resources and the development of new forms of energy that reduce America’s dependence on fossil fuels and creates a stronger rural economy.  More information on the grant program is available at: https://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2013/09/0189.xml&contentidonly=true

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