MINNEAPOLIS — A number of southern Minnesota farms and agricultural businesses were among 654 awardees in the USDA Rural Development Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program (REAP) announced Oct. 18.

Southern Minnesota projects that received funding include a $120,721 project at Boerboom Ag Resources, LCC, near Marshall and Vesta. The project includes the purchase and installation of energy-efficient heating mats for a small pig farm, saving $35,154 per year and enough electricity to power 38 homes.

Laurie Boerboom, a partner at Boerboom Ag Resources, said the heat mats will be used on two farms near Marshall and Vesta.

“They should be used all year round for piglets (newborn pigs) during the first weeks, of course,” » said Boerboom.

“We are installing them now. The grants fund about half of the project, which includes hiring an electrician. she said.

Boerboom Ag raises pigs from farrowing to market, working with several dozen area farmers to raise pigs under contract.

Other funding includes:

• $474,727 to purchase and install a fine juice heater for the Renville Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Co-op facility. The annual savings are $1,588,528. The project is expected to save the company $1,588,528 in annual electricity costs and will replace 87,724,211 kWh, or enough electricity to power 8,085 homes.

• An energy-efficient grain dryer worth $223,352 on the Josh Johnson farm near Montevideo would save the company $8,910 in annual electricity costs and replace 142,200 kWh, or enough energy to power 13 homes.

• A $127,347 project would allow Porter farmer Randy Hauschild to purchase and install an energy-efficient material handling system. The project is expected to save the company $2,158 in annual electricity costs and replace 15,752 kWh per year.

• A $487,860 project would purchase and install an energy-efficient grain dryer on the George Goblish Farm near Vesta. The project is expected to save the company $12,048 in annual electricity costs and replace 99,406 kWh, or enough electricity to power six homes.

• A $230,500 energy-efficient grain dryer for Brandts Farms near St. James would save $53,830 per year. Annual energy savings amount to 1,004,059 kWh, enough to power 93 homes.

• A $437,771 energy-efficient grain dryer would save the Michael Redman Farm near Lamberton $2,810 in annual electricity costs. Annual energy savings of 48,793 kWh are enough to power four homes.

• An agricultural grain dryer worth $159,817 would save the Kurt Blomgren Farm near Butterfield $1,800 per year and save 44,796 kWh, enough to power 4 homes.

• An $87,909 project for Cougar Run Inc. near Truman for energy-efficient heating mats for farrowing racks on a hog farm would save $22,028 in annual electricity costs and replace 275,337 kWh per year, enough to power 25 houses.

• A $67,075 50,000 kW solar array for Kaduce Properties LLC in St. Peter, a commercial real estate company that rents to other small businesses, would save $5,526 in annual electrical costs and replace 65,402 kWh, or enough electricity to power six homes.