07/17/06 Rennaissance in Reynolds

I have been like a broken record, ( of course kids today have no idea what that means) but for several years now I have been calling for farming communities to join the renewable energy bandwagon to become part of a rural renaissance. The community of Reynolds, Indiana is actually taking the bull by the horns and doing just that. Now dubbed as bio-town USA the community is paving a way for other rural townships to follow. By next July Reynolds aspires to produce its' own gas and electricity using waste from their farm animals, people and industry. Indiana's' Department of Agriculture is behind the venture that includes the construction of a large bio-mass center. Interestingly, most of the communities farmers are on board but even without total participation the number of hogs alone in the region will generate enough manure to produce 74 times the energy to light and fuel Reynolds each year. General Motors is offering incentives to residents to switch to flex-fuel vehicles and more than 100 new cars and trucks have been purchased under the program