HeatSmart Tompkins Recognizes Three Local Businesses for Outstanding Earth Stewardship

HeatSmart Tompkins leadership presents Earth Stewardship award to Salt Point Brewery Co. owners. (L to R) Jonathan Comstock, Sarah Hesse, Chris Hesse, Lisa Marshall. photo by Kitty Gifford

​On Wednesday, HeatSmart Tompkins presented Earth Stewardship awards to three Tompkins County businesses: Florae Collaborative, Greenstar Cooperative Market, & Salt Point Brewing. 

"HeatSmart Tompkins is pleased to highlight these businesses that demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment to sustainability. Their climate-friendly business practices include outfitting their buildings with air source or ground source heat pumps," said Lisa Marshall, HeatSmart Tompkins director. 

Salt Point Brewing in Lansing, NY, hosted the award ceremony. They also catered the event with specialty pizzas, flatbreads, and dips featuring locally sourced ingredients. "Salt Point Brewing was founded on the ideal of holding space for the community in a way that uplifts the community," said Sarah Hesse, co-owner. "Beyond producing great beer and food, we are committed to sustainable business operations with a focus on using New York State grown ingredients and supporting local agriculture. We are proud to be a certified New York State Farm Brewery, meaning we source most of our grain and hops from NYS farms." See video about Salt Point Brewing produced by HeatSmart Tompkins:

​"GreenStar Food Co-op supports sustainability by heating and cooling its new store with air source heat pumps and solar-generated electricity. They also provide a broad selection of organic and locally sourced dairy, meats, fruits, and vegetables," said Jonathan Comstock, HeatSmart co-founder. "Greenstar's innovative store design was a collaborative effort among the John Snyder Architects, Taitem Engineering, the owners, members, and the Ithaca community."

HeatSmart Tompkins leadership presents Earth Stewardship award to GreenStar Food Co-op. (L to R) Kara Cusolito, Marilyn Chase, Jonathan Comstock, Eldred harris, Bryan Smith, Lisa Marshall. photo by Kitty Gifford

​Accepting the award on behalf of GreenStar were Marilyn Chase, President; Kara Cusolito, Vice-President; Eldred Harris, Council Member; and Bryan Smith, Facilities Manager. 

Unfortunately, Ryan Georgia, owner of Florae, a business specializing in rare tropical plants grown from tissue cultures, could not attend Wednesday's event. Florae Collaborative's new greenhouses on West Hill feature a geothermal heating system installed by HeatSmart installer partner Daily Electric.