Wayne County, PA – In cooperation with SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education and Development Support) and their Wayne Businesses Conserve! program, the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce will honor Mr. James Stunkard, the proprietor of Nature’s Grace in Honesdale, with the first annual “Green Business of the Year” award. Some criteria to be considered in the nomination of this award included energy conservation, renewable power, transportation, water conservation, purchasing/waste prevention, and recycling/composting. Mr. Stunkard embodies all of these…and then some.
One word that best describes Mr. Stunkard’s role in our community would be “facilitator;” defined as an individual who enables people and organizations to work more effectively; to collaborate and achieve synergy. If you were to walk to into Nature’s Grace, you would notice it’s a hub for recycling. He accepts everything from plastic caps and bags, to batteries, cell phones, and even egg cartons. Mr. Stunkard and Nature’s Grace recycles more than 10,000 pounds of aluminum, plastic, paper, and cardboard from his store and from all those who contribute. Mr. Stunkard is actively engaged with his customers everyday on how to become a little bit more conscious of their wastes.
Mr. Stunkard has been partially powering Nature’s Grace’s energy needs for over 8 years with solar panels strategically placed on the roof of the building he is in. Parallel to this, James has installed and only uses LED lights or fluorescents, having no incandescent bulbs. He has converted the power in the motor of the coolers from AC energy to DC, theoretically lowering the electrical usage. Also, during the evening or closed hours, he has installed an insulation shield which rolls down over the top and front of the coolers, preventing the rise in temperature. Nature’s Grace serves lunch daily from their deli, using many locally grown or produced ingredients in his meals. All of the remains or by-products from this food preparation are composted at the end of the day, furthering the longevity of the nutrients to the land while preventing the usage of space in a landfill.
You may see James en route to work some mornings, either on his bicycle (which isn’t the shortest ride) or via his “grease” truck. Mr. Stunkard owns a 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit pickup truck, which has been converted to run on fryer oil rather than the usual diesel/gasoline powered vehicles with a high carbon output.
James Stunkard and Nature’s Grace will be honored at the Chamber’s annual Community Awards Banquet on Thursday, October 6, 2011 at Lukan’s Farm Resort in Hawley. For tickets, congratulatory ads and additional information please call the Chamber at (570) 253-1960.
