Ohio Grower Furthers Commitment to Sustainability
Eagle Creek Growers, a family-owned and operated indoor and outdoor lifestyle center in Bainbridge, Ohio, recently installed a 50-kilowatt wind turbine as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to self-sustainability and green operations. The wind turbine is a critical component to the company’s groundbreaking energy conservation program.
The turbine, funded by federal and state alternative-energy grants, is expected to reduce Eagle Creek’s annual energy consumption by 30 to 40 percent. Eagle Creek plans to apply for a second series of grants to install a second turbine, which would allow the company to generate approximately 80 percent of its energy on site and off the public power grid.
“We were chosen by both the USDA and the Ohio Department of Development to lead the charge in alternative energy installation and maintenance,” said John Bonner, general manager for Eagle Creek Growers’ wholesale division. “Eagle Creek is committed to going green, and it is our goal to become 100 percent self-sustainable. Our energy conservation program is designed to save money, materials and power, and we plan to pass those savings on to our wholesale and retail customers.”
The wind turbine, installed by Genesis Energy Systems, is Eagle Creek’s newest addition to its ongoing self-sustainability program. The company is committed to reducing its carbon footprint, and has implemented multiple measures to do so; they can be seen throughout the company’s greenhouses and retail and wholesale locations.
Eagle Creek’s greenhouses will soon have high-efficiency light fixtures equipped with motion sensors that illuminate only when people enter, thereby reducing power consumption by a third. Additionally, Eagle Creek has installed ebb-and-flow flooring designed to recycle all on-site water and reduce runoff and overall consumption. All greenhouses have energy curtains designed to maintain appropriate temperatures overnight, thus reducing heat usage by 50. Furthermore, the company has installed a biomass heating system that generates heat using recycled wood chips and horse manure, thus eliminating gas and oil consumption. The company also has a plastic pot”recycling program for its customers.
For more information on the company and its sustainability initiatives, visit www.eaglecreekgrowers.com.
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