Katie of City Roots LLC labels freshly packed microgreens on Wednesday morning before 7 AM, on August 10, 2022, in Columbia, S.C. City Roots is a family-owned local organic vegetable farm that uses environmentally-friendly farming practices, including composting and offsetting its carbon footprint with three photovoltaic solar panel arrays. The U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA Rural Development RD helped them toward their energy goals with a Rural Energy for America Program REAP Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Loans and Grants Program grant of $20,000.00 toward a $99,060.00 31.2 kW solar array that produces 44,858 kWh (82%) per year and provides a $5,382 of savings per year. REAP loans, and grants assist farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses in developing renewable energy systems and making energy-efficiency improvements to their operations. USDA Media by Lance Cheung.

 

For more information about the REAP program, please go to rd.usda.gov/programs-services/energy-programs/rural-energy-america-program-renewable-energy-systems-energy-efficiency-improvement-guaranteed-loans