NEW BREMEN — John Heitkamp of New Bremen is one of the ten most recent grant recipients from the USDA through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
As part of a $3.1 million investment towards clean, renewable energy to strengthen Ohio small businesses, Heitkamp received a $97,720 grant to purchase an energy-efficient grain dryer. The grain dryer is expected to save the family farm nearly $45,000 in annual energy costs and save 681,323 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year, enough to power 63 homes.
The energy efficiency update will offset nearly 70 percent of the farm’s annual energy consumption.
“Without a doubt, REAP truly is a win-win proposition for Ohio by creating and sustaining new job opportunities and improving quality of life in rural communities across our great state,” said USDA Rural Development in Ohio State Director Jonathan McCracken.
