Watsonville, CA March 15, 2021: Blume Industries (BI), Whiskey Hill Farms (WHF) and the Sustainable Systems Research Foundation (SSRF) in Santa Cruz are pleased to announce receipt of a United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Western Division of Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Farmer Rancher Grant.

“I’ve consulted to the USDA Agricultural Research Service for years, but this is the first time we’ve applied for and been awarded USDA grant funding,” said David Blume chief technical officer for Blume Industries and Owner of Whiskey Hill Farms). “It’s very satisfying to see our long-term research and development work in regenerative agriculture systems recognized by such an important agency of the Federal Government.”

Blume and Whiskey Hill Farms, working in collaboration with the Sustainable Systems Research Foundation (https://sustainablesystemsfoundation.org), are launching a program to demonstrate methods of increasing food yields from urban and peri-urban farms through the deployment of small- scale agricultural technologies, and teaching local farmers how to develop and install them to increase revenues.

Since 2009, Blume Industries and Whiskey Hill Farms, have jointly operated a privately funded R&D incubator developing integrated regenerative solutions for coordinated food, fuel and waste management designed systems whose metrics demonstrate increased profitability. Blume systems dovetail seamlessly with powerful climate change remediation strategies that harvest carbon, climate and renewable energy tax credits. Application for this SARE grant is their first pursuit of institutional funding.

Blume Industries is an integrative biological technology company designing and manufacturing next generation biorefinery systems and equipment. Its unique technology converts food processing waste, unmarketable produce, and cultivated polyculture energy crops into cost-effective fuels for

transportation, cooking, refrigeration, and electrical generation. Using system co- products, BI enriches, and repairs degraded agricultural soils 5,000 times faster than nature alone.
Whiskey Hill Farms is a 14-acre USDA certified organic farm near Santa Cruz California. WHF employs next generation techniques of both greenhouse and open field demonstration of regenerative soil science and ecological design. More information is available at: http://whiskeyhillfarms.com/.

The Sustainable Systems Research Foundation (SSRF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit green think tank that seeks to address complex and wicked environmental and sustainability problems at the community and regional levels. SSSRF designs, develops and deploys projects and programs that are local, replicable, scalable, promote community development and bring together numerous stakeholders with competing interests, capacities and approaches. Visit: https://sustainablesystemsfoundation.org/.

The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is a decentralized competitive grants and education program operating in every state and island protectorate funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture. SARE’s vision is an enduring American agriculture of the highest quality. This agriculture is profitable, protects the nation’s land and water and is a force for a rewarding way of life for farmers and ranchers whose quality products and operations sustain their communities and society. SARE’s mission is to advance – to the whole of American agriculture – innovations that improve profitability, stewardship and quality of life by investing in groundbreaking research and education.

Information contact: Tom Harvey – thcommunications@gmail.com – 831-722-1012