Orange County NC Website
B1e. Is this organization <br />an Orange County Living <br />W age Certified <br />Employer*? <br />Yes <br />Schedule of Positions: <br />B1f. Number of Full-Time <br />Paid Positions: <br />85 <br />B1g. Number of Part- <br />Time Paid Positions: <br />10 <br />B1h. Number of <br />Volunteers: <br />0 <br />B2. Do you have another <br />collaborator or partner to <br />add? <br />No <br />Section C. Project Information <br />C1a. Project Name (This <br />will be used as the name <br />of your submission; <br />please keep your project <br />name to less than 5 <br />words. Examples: Tree <br />Planting, LED Lights, <br />Rain Garden, Rooftop <br />Solar) <br />Renewable Energy Infrastructure for the Future of Farms <br />C1b. Please describe the <br />proposed project. (300 <br />word limit) <br />Red Hawk Farm is a 52-acre, organic farm located in northern OC in its 11th year of business. W e <br />have developed a compelling produce farm model, rooted in soil-based greenhouse production and <br />local, direct wholesale marketing. Our model provides the quality and character of product typically <br />only found at the best farmers’ markets to grocery stores and institutions in the volume and <br />consistency of supply necessary to meet requirements of their buyers. To do so, we have <br />committed ourselves to appropriate technology and highly technical production strategies that <br />enable us to deliver year-round salad greens and long, nine-month seasons of crops like tomatoes, <br />cucumbers, and herbs. W e are proud of the positive impact and consumer choice we are already <br />able to provide to our local communities and unwilling to compromise on our vision for an always <br />improving food system that we all deserve. In order to meaningfully serve community members <br />who eat every day of the year, we have unhappily relied on fossil fuels to support corresponding <br />year-round production. Now with real traction and experience under our belt, we are ready to <br />partner with other pioneering programs and collaborators to do the work of identifying climate <br />conscious-solutions and the pathways to achieving them with urgency. Our success in <br />transitioning to renewable energy systems will help ensure our resilience in a volatile and fraught <br />industry susceptible to cost increases that often cannot be accounted for properly in a farm <br />product’s pricing. By reducing and stabilizing our energy operating costs, our thin margins will also <br />improve, allowing us to continue to support better wages and opportunities for our employees. <br />Most importantly, it is simply the right thing to do for our shared future and we will do our part to <br />enable our peers to follow in our footsteps for the greatest impact. <br />C1c. Please describe <br />your project’s benefits, <br />including those that are <br />quantifiable. (150 word <br />limit) <br />Our proposed projects benefits are numerous, including: bringing three-phase energy to the farm <br />that will allow for solar, geothermal, and other renewable energy projects onsite; significant annual <br />reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (up to 290 metric tons per year when solar and geothermal <br />are fully installed); significant cost savings from eliminated electricity and propane costs that can <br />be reinvested in staff wages (approximately $110,000 annually); shared learning opportunities for <br />other small, mid-size, and large-scale regional farms that want to improve their environmental and <br />community impact; educational opportunities for k12 and higher education customers to share with <br />their staff and students; and investment in Orange County agricultural industry that benefits people <br />and planet, per the OC Climate Action Plan. <br />C1d. Please choose the <br />best description for the <br />type of project*: <br />Clean Energy Infrastructure – New <br />Docusign Envelope ID: 1EDD1EF6-0E3A-40E1-B431-94002662BCDF