Sugar Bush Projects

Areas of Focus: Zero Waste and Economic Development

University and Community Collaborators

• Habitat for Humanity Southeast Ohio
• Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service

Description

The Habitat-Voinovich School collaboration diverts construction and demolition materials for reuse, to the benefit of the community and the environment. Partners are making great strides with on-campus waste diversion. For example, in the summer of 2021, the team salvaged three semi-trucks and 10 box trucks of office furniture and building materials before a university building was demolished. These materials, which otherwise would have gone to the landfill, are now being sold at two Habitat ReStore locations at a fraction of the retail price, where profits go toward building affordable homes. 

The Habitat-Voinovich partners tested many social enterprise business models to identify a model that maximized revenue for Habitat. As a result, they are also launching a construction worker training program and a construction company. Despite COVID delays and steep increases in the price of building materials, Habitat continues work on their new construction training facility in Millfield, OH. By partially pre-fabricating Habitat houses in Millfield, they will be able to train construction workers and reduce building costs.

Funding 

• Funding period: 2015- 2025
• Funding to date: $553,000

Areas of Focus: Zero Waste and Economic Development

University and Community Collaborators

• Rural Action
• Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service

Description

The Appalachia Ohio Zero Waste Initiative (AOZWI) is an active collaboration in Southeast Ohio between Rural Action and the Voinovich School that is turning waste into resources and changing the way the region thinks about waste as resource or materials management. 

Since the Sugar Bush Foundation’s incubation of AOZWI in 2010, recycling rates in Athens and Hocking Counties have quadrupled to as high as 37%. The feasibility study that AOZWI conducted added to the building and implementing of the Athens-Hocking Recycling Center, which now has 45 employees and is a union shop.

Rural communities, which had no access to recycling, now have 22 drop-off sites for recyclables and residential collection of recyclables along with trash with dual packer trucks. AOZWI started the social enterprise, Zero Waste Event Productions, that is now an independent business that supports waste diversion at events across the nation, diverting over 90 percent to recycling and composting and re-use. The City of Athens and many local businesses have taken the Zero Waste Action Pledge to improve waste management within their buildings.

As a result of taking the Zero Waste Action Pledge, O'Bleness Hospital has implemented a five-year sustainability plan and is a model of sustainability for the entire OHIO Health system. OHIO Athletics supports zero waste home football games and now has composting available at the Convocation Center. AOZWI initiated “Green Events” to help planners to reduce event waste and make campus gatherings more sustainable. The City of Athens has also added a drop off and collection service for food compost for residents and businesses.

The current phase of AOZWI focuses on three areas: 1) facilitating regional cooperation and collaboration around waste, such as staging mobile CHaRM (Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) collection days and growing a tri-state network of organics recycling professionals; 2) supporting the sustainability goals of Ohio University and the City of Athens through providing interns and students to assist with sustainability initiatives like capturing reusable materials from Move OUt; and 3) engaging in waste research and education to improve STEM learning in K-12 and at Ohio University.

Funding

• Funding period: 2010- 2025
• Funding to date:  $1,785,164

Learn More

• Appalachia Ohio Zero Waste Initiative receives renewal funding from Sugar Bush Foundation
• Rural Action’s Website
• The Nelsonville Music Festival and Sustainability
• How do we achieve Zero Waste at big events?

Description

OHIO’s Scripps College of Communication has established an Environmental Reporting partnership with the start-up nonprofit digital newspaper, the Athens County Independent. This collaboration engages OHIO journalism graduate and undergraduate students alongside the Independent’s staff in building environmental journalism as an area of expertise. The environmental reporting beat covers topics such as green innovations, local food systems, and efforts to strengthen a resilient regional economy. By critically exploring environmental challenges and local solutions, the project aims to foster community awareness, stewardship, and accountability across government, business, and nonprofit sectors.

The Sugar Bush Foundation supports a half-time reporting position at the Athens County Independent, a graduate assistant in the School of Journalism, and funds undergraduate research and reporting roles. The partnership elevates OHIO’s national visibility through joint publishing agreements with the Rural News Network and Inside Climate News, positioning Athens as a model for locally grounded, solutions-oriented environmental journalism.

Funding

• Funding Period: 2024-2027
• Funding to Date: $99,000

Description

The Foodways Innovation Partnership for Southeast Ohio project brings together Community Food Initiatives and OHIO's Mechanical Engineering Department, Center for Entrepreneurship, Center for Experiential Learning, and the OHIO Student Farm. In this project, OHIO students work with local farmers and food distribution practitioners to develop student‐led (but faculty‐mentored) solutions to challenges in the local farming and food ecosystem.

For this project, Community Food Initiatives acts as the intermediary between students and farmers, leveraging its well-developed network of trust‐based relationships with dozens of small farmers and producers to ensure the partnership runs smoothly. The OHIO Student Farm also provides basic farming training and a place to test prototypes in development. The projects are designed to serve CFI’s mission “to foster communities where everyone has equitable access to healthy, local food” and vision of “a resilient and sustainable region where everyone is nourished by a just, inclusive, and thriving local food system.” Farmers receive a $2,000 stipend for participating in the project.

Funding

• Funding Period: 2024-2027
• Funding to Date: $55,200

Description

Partners Rural Action, Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, and OhioHealth have teamed up to give new life to sterilization wrap fabric. In 2024, OhioHealth approached Rural Action and OHIO for help developing products from the sterilization wrap fabric that covers surgical tools. For every operation, O’Bleness Hospital disposes of two bags of this fabric—creating an average of 50 pounds of weekly waste and over 2,600 pounds annually that end up in landfills. The ACE project was created to upcycle the fabric into tote bags, clothing, and other products, creating workforce development opportunities for people facing employment barriers. The project operates within a small-scale manufacturing social enterprise—an innovation hub with shared-use equipment for wood, metal, plastic, and fiber arts trades.

The project received funding for a pilot year in FY 24-25 that allowed refinement of its path forward. During the pilot year, the project engaged students from the OHIO School of Art + Design to develop logo designs, OHIO Retail and Fashion Merchandising to create five bag prototypes, and Hocking College Fashion Design and Retail Merchandising Program to identify best practices for processing materials. The project also worked with an OHIO GVS student team to conduct market research and develop a business plan.

Funding

• Funding Period: 2024-2028
• Funding to Date: $99,000

Description

This project is a collaboration between the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development (COAD) and OHIO Mechanical Engineering that builds on the work of COAD’s Ohio Weatherization Training Center. COAD has spent decades training a workforce to install energy-saving measures in low-income homes across Appalachian Ohio. As a next step, they are beginning to integrate renewable energy with their weatherization efforts.

Research by OHIO Mechanical Engineering will design and develop a solar PV research station at COAD’s headquarters to test the usability of lightly damaged solar panels and assess the feasibility of re-use, repair, or recycling of the constituent materials. This multi-purpose research station will contribute power to decrease COAD’s energy costs.

Regional solar installers often have damaged solar panels that are rejected from installation sites due to minor shipping or handling damage. These panels generally end up in landfills even when the damage is minimal. If this research shows that slightly damaged solar panels can still be used, the project could enable solar adoption by other nonprofits and low-income housing providers.

Ohio University is an R1 research institution with an Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment. The faculty have training and experience in energy systems as well as experimental methods to lead the design and development of systems in ways that maximize student opportunities to learn by doing.

Funding

• Funding Period: 2025-2028
• Funding to Date: $49,000

Description

The OHIO Rural Teacher Fellowship, a partnership between Building Bridges to Careers and Ohio University Regional Higher Education, recognizes that successful students, thriving businesses, and strong communities are interconnected—and that educators play a pivotal role in bridging these elements. Since its 2021-22 pilot, the Fellowship has empowered rural educators—both practicing teachers and undergraduate education students—to develop community- and career-connected learning projects that engage middle school students in tackling real community challenges through hands-on, place-based learning.

In rural areas, where economic and educational opportunities can be limited, educators need structured support to build partnerships that connect students to their communities and future careers. The OHIO Rural Teacher Fellowship provides this support, transforming educators from isolated instructors into community leaders. By fostering these connections, the Fellowship not only enhances workforce readiness but also strengthens community vitality.

Funding

• Funding Period: 2025-2028
• Funding to Date: $37,266

Areas of Focus: Environmental Restoration, Economic Development

The partners are preparing to build a full-scale water treatment plant, which when fully operational, will remove 2 million lbs of iron from the stream each year. The Truetown plant will have the capacity to produce 0.5% of the nation’s demand for iron oxide pigments from that one seep.

Funding

• Funding period: 2016- 2024
• Total Funding: $306,000

Learn More

• In coal country, a new chance to clean up a toxic legacy
• $3.5M moves acid mine drainage cleanup plant toward full scale
• Rural Action's True Pigments earns national prize for social innovation
• First painting made from pilot plant pigment.
• Photos of the pilot plant in Corning, Ohio.
• Photos of the fence artwork around the pilot plant.

At a Glance:

Full Story:

Areas of Focus: Economic Development and Zero Waste

University and Community Collaborators

• Barbara Geralds Storytelling Institute
• Passion Works Studio

Description

Passion Works is a joy-filled, colorful, inter-abled art studio in Athens, Ohio. Passion Works has successfully transitioned from a sheltered workshop to an independently-run art studio, with artists-in-residence. Building on an 18-year partnership with the Storytelling Institute at Ohio University, Passion Works Studio is 1) expanding its creation, production, and distribution of upcycled art products; 2) extending the geographical reach of Passion Works activities through their Mobile Art Project, and 3) sharing their Creative Abundance Model through a multimodal experiential training center. Passion Works has a 24-year legacy of disrupting deficit-based narratives of disability and employing individuals with developmental differences through collaborative art and an asset-based orientation. The Storytelling Institute explores and enhances strengths and potential through the lens of Appreciative Inquiry. Together, they collaborate to disseminate the Creative Abundance Model.

Funding

• Funding period:  2020- 2024
• Total Funding: $154,853

At a Glance:

Full Story:

Areas of Focus: Environmental Restoration, Economic Development, Food Security

Farm to OHIO Working Group

University and Community Collaborators

• Food Studies Theme
• Department of Sociology and Anthropology
• Rural Action
• Community Food Initiatives

Description

The Farm to Ohio Working Group strengthens our regional food system through institutional procurement of locally grown food and develops our regional food network. Close collaboration between OHIO, Rural Action, and Community Food Initiatives has reduced many infrastructure barriers to institutional buying of locally grown produce and has increased equitable access to local food on campus. Rural Action facilitated certification for area farmers at the Chesterhill Produce Auction and at the OHIO Student Farm, qualifying them to sell their produce to OHIO Culinary Services. Meanwhile, Culinary Services adapted infrastructure and procedures to accommodate local, seasonal produce. Additionally, Culinary Services committed a percentage of their annual budget to local food purchases, with a plan to increase the percentage through fiscal year 2026.

Community Food Initiatives has been improving equitable access to local food on campus, educating about our local food system, and sharing recipes for using fresh, seasonal produce. In 2020, despite Culinary Services’ sudden and unexpected closure, the FOWG shared resources on an unprecedented level. The collaboration between Rural Action and CFI, enabled the distribution of 132,747 lbs of regionally grown food, an increase of 76% above 2019 distribution, and enabled distribution of 1,460 lbs of OHIO Student Farm produce, directing 1,921 lbs of food to the university’s food pantry.

In 2021, the FOWG hosted a virtual Farm to Institution Summit, will expand acreage under production with participating farmers, and expand student engagement in the work.

Funding

• Funding period: 2016-2023
• Funding to date: $319,058

Learn More

• Appalachian Food and Culture Initiative - At a Glance
• Farm to Ohio: Appalachian Food & Culture Initiative

Areas of Focus: Economic Development

University and Community Collaborators

• Center for Community Impact
• Ohio Hills Country Heritage Area
• Social Enterprise Ecosystem

Description

Ohio’s Winding Road is a collaborative network seeking to grow the regional “experience economy” by protecting, developing, and marketing the environmental, historical, and cultural assets in southeast Ohio’s Hocking and Muskingum River Valleys. OWR is using a ‘network weaving’ approach to organize and align a diverse experience tourism under a single brand, supported by shared resources and talents. OWR’s shared marketing creates economic benefits to local businesses, entrepreneurs, guides and interpretive program leaders engaged in the authentic experience economy.

OWR is a network of communities helping each other market creative experiences based in cultural history, outdoor adventure & environmental learning; the arts, local foods, education, and authentic amenities such as shopping, dining, and lodging.

Funding

• Funding period: 2018- 2023
• Funding to date: $245,655

Learn More

• What is the future for post-coal Appalachian Ohio, pandemic included?
• Ohio's Winding Road - At a Glance
• Down The Road. Ohio's Winding Road: Seed grant recipients.

 Area of Focus: Zero Waste

University and Community Collaborators

• Voinovich School of Leadership & Public Service
• Rural Action Watershed Group

Description

This partnership between Voinovich School researchers and the Rural Action Watershed Program has been field-testing an OHIO-developed technology that turns septic sludge into high-quality fertilizer. While Drs. Sarah Davis and Kimberley Miller test the fertility of soils amended by this hydrothermally treated fertilizer, Rural Action’s Watershed Group has been working with septic haulers and state regulators to test business ideas for making and selling the fertilizer. The team has measured soil and plant responses to the fertilizer and are seeking Ohio EPA approval to install a pilot treatment facility

Funding 

• Funding period: 2019- 2022
• Funding to date: $151,932

University and Community Collaborators

• City of Chillicothe
• OHIO Chillicothe Campus

Description

Ohio University Chillicothe partnered with the City of Chillicothe to promote their new curbside recycling program. The Sugar Bush gift provided funds for two interns to work with the city in implementing an education and marketing campaign. The interns developed media promotions and scheduled events on campus and in schools for the public to learn more about the recycling path to Zero Waste.

Learn More

• New curbside recycling grant options arising, Chillicothe Gazette, Sept. 2017
• Hey Chillicothe, Let's Roll!
• Get The Facts!

University and Community Collaborators

• ReUse Industries
• Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service

Description

The partnership between ReUse Industries and Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service has transformed a community thrift store and launched new programs including an annual ReUse Competition, community Fix-It Workshops, a FixerSpace, a community Tool Library and upcycled product research and development. These activities engaged hundreds of regional residents and organizations, and dramatically improved ReUse’s retail and waste diversion performance — with increases in sales revenue (+63%), customer transactions (+47%), items sold (+71%) and items sold per retail square foot (+108%) — while ReUse’s overall budget and workforce more than tripled.

This progress led to the pending opening of Athens MakerSpace in 2018, a 7,000 square-foot facility offering tools, workspaces and classes in multiple creative disciplines (including woodworking, metalworking, fabric-fiber arts, upcycling, 3D printing, laser cutting and electronics) as well as a new RU store called ReUse on Union (fabric, art and books), an upcycled product-making studio and an online Etsy store called Athens FabMaker (high-end and vintage fabric).

Funding

• Funding period:  2012/2013 - 2017/2018.
• Funding to date:  $252,306

Learn More

• Athens MakerSpace Facebook Page
• 'Makerspaces' help make dreams a reality, Athens News
• Need a tool, take a tool, first-ever Appalachia tool library opens in Athens, Athens News
• Earth Day honors and wonders, Athens News
• Broken stuff gets timely rescue, Fix-It Workshop volunteers fix items, teach fix-it skills to others, Athens News
• Let’s hear it for reviving the useful skill of tinkering, Athens News
• ReUse’s annual competition, Athens News

Partnership between Live Healthy Appalachia, Center for Community Impact, and College of Health Sciences & Professions.

Implemented healthy eating programs in the community and local schools.

2011/2012, 2013/2014, 2015/2016

Partnership between the Center for the Creation of Cooperation and Ohio University Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Technical and policy planning for a neighborhood-size solar micro-grid.

2013/2014, 2015/2016

Partnership between Environmental and Plant Biology at OHIO and Community Food Initiatives.

Built the High Tunnel on West State Street to extend the growing season for the student garden, and to provide produce and seedlings for CFI to give away.

2012/2013

• The High Tunnel's ongoing benefit

Partnership between Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, the Russ College of Engineering and Technology and the Southeast Ohio Watershed Council and the Ohio EPA.

Provided for baseline water quality testing throughout the county in advance of hydraulic fracturing activity.

2011/2012

Partnership between Good Works and Residence Life at OHIO.

Enabled students to sign up for community service activities through the residence halls for a full year, overcoming the time constraints of quarters.

2009/2010

Partnership between Mechanical Engineering at Russ College of Engineering and Technology, Community Food Initiatives, and Shagbark Seed & Mill.

Engineering students built a prototype thresher and winnower sized for family farms.

2009/2010

Seed for Change, Ohio Today Spring 2014

2009/2010

Partnership between the Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment, Russ College of Engineering and Technology, the Educational Service Center, and the Athens Alternative Education Program.

Provided funds for engineering students to design and fabricate a mobile oilseed processing facility and for students in the Alternative Education Program to grow, tend and press a 20-acre test plot of sunflowers for seed oil.

2008/2009

Partnership between the Athens Foundation and the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service.

Funded a resource library for improving non-profit organizational capacity.

2007/2008

Partnership between OHIO Office of Sustainability and Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development (COAD).

Provided an incentive to landlords to upgrade the energy efficiency of student rentals; provided education to students to help them press for energy-efficient rentals.

2007/2008