The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Grant helps nursery’s plan cut water waste
A Bethel plant nursery and farm is embarking on a new project designed to improve efficiency in more ways than one.
Hollandia Nurseries & Farm was one of 33 recipients of Farm Transition Grants from the state Department of Agriculture, the purpose of which is to strengthen the economic viability of farmers and agricultural cooperatives in Connecticut.
Hollandia Nurseries & Farm owner Eugene Reelick said the $20,000 grant will be used to help cover the cost of installing new irrigation systems in several greenhouses.
“It's going to save so much in regards to water waste management and water conservation here at the nursery,” he said. “It's a really exciting opportunity.”
By providing “a more direct application of water and fungicides to the plants,” Reelick said the new system is expected to cut water waste by 40 percent.
“It will put water where it needs to be, which is in the hanging baskets and in the pots, and not waste it,” he said.
The system will not only have conservation benefits, but business operational ones as well.
“Another reason I'm putting this system in is to be more automated,” Reelick said. “I'll be able to put my staff where I need them instead of where they need to be.”
With plant-watering handled by a machine, Reelick said nursery staff will have more time to interact with customers and “do more important things.”
“When I saw this grant was available, I thought about what could be done to really help the nursery,” he said. “I decided that turning to automation would be our best bet, and the state loved the idea.”
Reelick said he plans to order the irrigation systems from Cherry Creek Watering and have them installed within the next 18 months,
noting that's the amount of time he has to “complete the project prior to losing the grant.”
State Sen. Julie Kushner, D-Danbury, said Connecticut farms contribute more than $4 billion to the state's economy each year, and she's pleased a veteran local contributor is being supported.
“Hollandia Nurseries has been a part of that Connecticut farm economy for more than half a century, and I'm happy to see them benefit from this state investment in our farms and open spaces,” she said.
Given the difficulties faced by the agriculture community, Reelick said he appreciates the state's efforts to help Connecticut farmers.
“We're really honored that the Department of Agriculture is supporting us farmers and allowing us to continue to grow both as growers of plants and as a farm,” he said.