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In August of 2014, the New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC) launched the New Jersey Sustainable Business Registry. This Registry is a component of a larger initiative between Rutgers’ New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). Joining this list of small businesses, Pleasant Run Nursery, Inc., was the first nursery enterprise to be recognized as a New Jersey Sustainable Business.
Pleasant Run Nursery, Inc. achieved recognition in eleven (11) different categories.
Develop Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Plan:
Waste Reduction:
Waste Reuse:
We reuse our office paper as scrap paper, and then recycle the paper.
Waste Recycling:
Energy Efficiency
All new bulbs are GE Energy Efficient Reveal® Halogen bulbs. They use 28% less energy than less conventional light bulbs. We also installed motion sensor lighting at office and potting barn.
Renewable Energy
Installation of Solar System at the nursery. The system consists of 3 rows of solar panels; each row is 200 feet in length and 15 feet wide. The energy generated by the solar panels powers the entire nursery including the pump house, business office and owner’s home, propagation house and over 88 greenhouses. We have averaged a $10,000 savings per year for the past two years.
Employee Commute:
8 employees commute to work via carpooling. Instead of 8 cars travelling the total number is 3. Total miles reduced by utilizing carpooling are 6,111 miles per year.
Fleet Vehicles:
Electric golf cart batteries are charged by solar panels. Currently, we have 14 golf carts, used by staff and customers.
Water Conservation:
Utilization of drip irrigation on approximately 20% of the nursery reduces the over-usage of water, especially during the hot summer months. We utilize a “Pulse style” irrigation schedule. Our irrigation schedule provides more consistent moisture and maintains constant soil temperatures, while reducing runoff by short duration application of water at multiple times per day. This program allows us to reduce our fertilizer rate since it makes our use of fertilizer more efficient and minimizes our leachate.
Stormwater Management & Site Design:
Support the wellbeing of your employees.
In 2016, we received re-certification and recognition for another category:
Environmental & Community Restoration
Currently at PRN, we have a total on 13 working beehives. In 2016, we added 4 additional hives. The standard hives we use at PRN have two deep supers; the supers are where the bees live.
The average peak population in the month of June is 60,000* adult bees.
*http://articles.extension.org/pages/21747/seasonality-of-brood-and-adult-populations-basic-bee-biology-for-beekeepers PRN’s Measurable Results: 4 x 60,000 = 240,000 additional bees
For more information about the registry visit: http://registry.njsbdc.com/