PRESS CONTACT: Katie Mounts, Director of Communications, katie.mounts@mail.house.gov

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Pete Visclosky today announced five grants and a loan guarantee to increase the energy efficiency of agricultural producers in Indiana’s First District through the replacement of grain dryers.

“Ensuring the financial stability and energy efficiency of the farms and businesses in our rural communities is a critical component of economic recovery efforts in Indiana’s First District,” said Visclosky, who was recognized as a Friend of the Farm Bureau for the 111th Congress. “As we work to keep and create jobs across the region, I am pleased to see federal resources come to our agriculture community to make sure that American farmers have the tools they need to operate stable and efficient businesses that provide employment for workers across Northwest Indiana.”

The awards come from the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and are intended to assist farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses in developing renewable energy systems and in making energy efficiency improvements to their operations. The five grants and loan guarantee for farmers in Northwest Indiana will all go toward replacing older grain dryers with newer, energy-efficient models.

“This grant is going to be used to update our drying system from an outdated and very inefficient system to one that will be 75% more efficient, which should mean large fuel and electricity savings,” said John Brettnacher, an award recipient in Benton County. “It’s great that the government is able to award these grants.”

REAP awards are administered by USDA Rural Development, which aims to improve the economy and quality of life in rural America, and are authorized by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, more commonly known as the “Farm Bill.” Visclosky was a strong supporter of the 2008 Farm Bill, and in preparation for it, had organized an Advisory Board of local farmers and agriculture experts from all five counties in Indiana’s First District. Since passage of the bill, hundreds of Indiana businesses and farmers have benefited from the REAP program.

To learn more about the awards and the recipients, please visit www.rurdev.usda.gov.