In anticipation of the New Year, Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) is funding $10,000 of the proposed restoration to the Octagon Barn Milking Parlor for the refurbishment of the historic site, proposed to start in 2011.

The PG&E donation was announced at the Octagon Barn Holiday Lighting Ceremony on Dec. 3, where The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County staff, board members, and supporters gathered to celebrate the longevity of the historic Octagon Barn, as well as the new site developments for enhancing and establishing the Barn as an eventual community center.

"Our vision for the Milking Parlor is to create a place of historic reference, a place where we can look at the past and present in relation to farming and agricultural heritage and bridge those practices through a sustainable lens, to the ways of the future," says Teresa Tibstra, membership and outreach coordinator, after planning and hosting this year’s Barn Lighting event.

The PG&E sponsorship funds will jump-start the first phase of construction including structural re-design, planning, permitting, engineering, and incorporating LEED design to maximize the education potential of the parlor. Other amenities for the sustainable parlor will include energy efficient insulation, windows, and lighting, as well as introducing a solar water heating system with small photovoltaic panels.

Once the project is complete, the Octagon Barn Milking Parlor will become a place for sustainability practices and will show the environmental commitment of PG&E in supporting these efforts. The Land Conservancy aims to make this community center available for educational purposes and room space rentals for widespread community benefit.

As a community partner in the first year of the development, PG&E has the opportunity to pledge commitment for all phases of the project, potentially establishing them as the “lead” project sponsor and benefactor of the Milking Parlor building by gaining major naming rights, sponsorship signage, and a positive alignment with a significant community project.

“PG&E is proud to support the Milk Parlor as a center of sustainability and as a regional showcase,” said Patricia Wilmore, as she passed the $10,000 envelope to Land Conservancy Board Trustee B.K. Richard. Wilmore is PG&E's local area manager, governmental relations.

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County is a local nonprofit working to protect and restore land for the benefit of people and wildlife. Since its formation in 1984, The Land Conservancy has led collaborative efforts to permanently protect over 11,000 acres of land in San Luis Obispo County. For more information visit www.LCSLO.org or call (805) 544-9096.

To learn more about the history and proposed developments of the historic Octagon Barn, please visit www.octagonbarn.org.