As many of you know, at Mill Creek, we grow plants year round. Running a growing operation in the middle of winter, comes with its challenges, to name one: HEATING! And our goal is to heat it sustainably! 

After purchasing Mill Creek (almost 12 years ago), we installed our first wood boilers that took our full reliance off of propane. At the time (and still to this day) propane prices rise and fall making it impossible to predict the cost of doing business. 

Years later, after expanding, we installed a larger biomass boiler + received our first REAP grant (Rural Energy for America Program) from the USDA. This Heat Master boiler takes locally sourced waste-wood (mostly chipped cranberry crates) and heats all 6 of our greenhouses. 

In 2022, we received our second REAP grant for our 3rd boiler upgrade - The Log Boiler. What's amazing about this boiler is that we can dump FULL LOGS (no need for cutting and splitting) + these logs come from overgrown trees, storm damage, etc. 

We want to feel good about how we're operating our business while being kind to the earth and this is a great way we can say that!  Here's the real kicker - these upgrades have allowed us to invest in other ways, like full-time, year-round staff, a new plant shop, + much more!  Wanna learn more about this sustainability project?

Follow this link to the USDA's blog post about their visit to Mill Creek!

Stay Warm,