First Industries Fund tourism and farm grants announced this week included $939,250 in support of a variety of projects, including ethanol, manure gasification, biodiesel and wood waste energy facilities, developing local farm production marketing networks, alternative uses for mushroom substrate, and promotion of the Loyalhanna Trail. Here’s a quick list--

· $175,000 to Ellesworth Co, Inc., Chester County, to fund a study to determine if obtaining industrially important enzymes from spent mushroom substrate is a viable business.

· $175,000 to NorAm Biofuels, Inc., Washington County, for economic impact and engineering studies necessary for the development of a refining facility to produce biodiesel fuel from seed oil.

· $175,000 to PA Association of Sustainable Agriculture, Western Pennsylvania, for planning activities necessary to develop a regional food production and distribution network in a 19-county region.

· $175,000 to Sunnyside Ethanol, LLC, Clearfield County, for predevelopment activities associated with the construction and operation of a 40 million gallon per year fuel ethanol and co-generation power plant.

· $72,100 to the Regional Economic Development District Initiative, Adams County, to investigate the creation of a farmer-owned manure gasification/conversion process facility.

· $66,950 to Headwaters Charitable Trust, Northcentral Counties, for a feasibility study for a power plant using wood waste to generate electricity.

· $41,200 to Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Crawford County, for a feasibility study associated with creating a sustainable regional producer-market food system, primarily through the Meadville Market House.

· $37,000 to Crawford County Farm Bureau, Northwest Counties, for a feasibility study to evaluate the viability of creating a dry mill ethanol production plant.

· $22,000 to Loyalhanna Watershed Association, Westmoreland County, for planning to develop the Loyalhanna Creek Hiking and Biking Trail as a year-round tourist destination.

For more information, visit the First Industries Program webpage.

9/30/2005