Farmer David Fink (left), owner of Heidel Hollow Farms shows State Director Tom Williams, how Rural Energy for America Funding will help reduce his farm’s energy costs.

I recently joined David Fink, at his Heidel Hollow Farm in Germansville. The family-owned, 1600 crop acre hay farm was awarded two USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grants totaling $231,230. The grants will be used toward a solar energy project that will provide approximately 252,869 KW of electricity used in the hay compressing operation of the farm. David will also be able to replace one diesel engine with five electric motors, saving over 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel each year.  Both projects will significantly reduce the farm’s energy costs.  Read more »

New Mexico State Director Terry Brunner welcomed USDA Rural Development Administrator of Business and Cooperative Programs Judy Canales to Albuquerque earlier this month to kick off a two day training session for Rural Development staff and lenders from across the state.

After being introduced to our staff by the State Director, Administrator Canales said, “This is a fantastic time for New Mexico to provide more business because of the funds that have been made available through the Recovery Act.” To make her point Canales, added, “I had a meeting on Tuesday in Texas with 60 lenders and some of them told me they are very interested in doing business here in New Mexico.”

Canales told the RD staff she is traveling the nation meeting with lenders and other RD staff with a very simple message. “Your business is our business.  And, our business is your business.”  That morning Administrator Canales and State Director Brunner held a meeting with 22 local lenders and venture capital firms to discuss the advantages of using the B & I Guaranteed Loan Program.

Later in the day 22 staff members assigned to business programs from across New Mexico attended an intensive business workshop taught by Jeff Jobe an RD national business field advisor from Iowa.  Jobe gave the staff a large binder full of information on the B&I Guaranteed Loan program and the REAP Program which promotes energy efficient projects in rural America.

The staff attending the workshop asked Jobe questions about the B&I Guaranteed loan program from initial inquiries to filling out the various forms and paperwork. Special thanks go out to New Mexico USDA Rural Development Business Programs staff who helped organize the training.  For more information about B&I Loan Guarantees click here.

New Mexico State Director Terry Brunner welcomes Administrator Judith Canales to New Mexico to kick-off staff and lender training. During his welcome Mr. Brunner presented Ms. Canales with a basket full of New Mexico grown agriculture products.

New Mexico State Director Terry Brunner greets staff during the RBS programs training session.

Submitted by Ernie Watson, USDA Rural Development-New Mexico