Community, SMUD, Folsom History leaders gather to launch new program
Folsom History and the community gathered Saturday to celebrate receiving a SMUD Shine award of $8,041.61, which supported an innovative project to add electric-powered induction forges to The Square, home of the iconic Folsom Forge in city’s historic district.
The event was well attended by the community, city leaders, Folsom History staff and members of its board of directors at The Square in Historic Folsom in front of the Folsom Forge to celebrate the funding of the new program with leadership of SMUD who is very excited to be part of the program.
This funding significantly advances Folsom History’s blacksmithing programs and reduced its environmental impact.
At the time, Folsom History had a two-month waiting list for individuals eager to train as blacksmiths. The additional forges helped meet the growing demand for blacksmith training. The shift to induction forges was a cleaner, more sustainable technology that directly reduced their annual coal consumption of 2.5 tons and cut down the associated carbon emissions.
“We were deeply grateful for the SMUD Shine award,” said Executive Director Dr. Rita Hoffstadt. “The funding enabled us to introduce a cleaner, more efficient blacksmithing technique that not only improved our environmental footprint but also enhanced our training capabilities.”
Participants in the blacksmithing program were very excited about the award and the innovative expansion made possible by SMUD. “Our goal was to lead the blacksmithing community towards more sustainable practices and inspire others to adopt these technologies,” said Victoria Ritter, Volunteer Lead Blacksmith at Folsom Forge.
“SMUD’s Shine program harnesses the determination and vision of local nonprofits, regional partners, and the communities we serve, while working towards a clean energy future,” said SMUD Board Member Brandon Rose, who was in attendance with others Saturday including representatives of the SMUD Shine Program. “Incorporating modern technology to solve today’s environmental concerns ensured that traditional skills and craftsmanship continued to thrive.”
Folsom Mayor Mike Koslowski was among the dignitaries on hand Saturday. Koslowski spoke to the fact Folsom has been jome to many historic “firsts,” and the new clean blacksmithing program is the latest on that list.
“We were the first place in the West to have a railroad. We were the first place in the West to have bridges across the Sacramento River. We were the first place in the West to have a modern power plant. We were one of the first places in the West to have a dam for our river in order to be able to sluice for gold originally and then later make that power in that power plant. We are the center currently of research and development for memory chips and all kinds of technology at Intel and Micron, Samsung, a whole bunch of other companies,” said Kozlowski. “Now we are stepping forward and bringing blacksmithing into the future today by using magnetism to make things hot and be able to pass on the actual metalworking skills to another generation without having to burn coal.”
Folsom Times photos by Bill Sullivan.
Kozlowski went on to praise SMUD for their forward approach in going green and their attention to climate change, from large scale projects to smaller community projects like the Folsom Blacksmithing program that are important in educating the community of the past as well as the present and the future.
“The folks from SMUD have set super aggressive goals of making our entire network of power supply in Sacramento 100% green by the end of 2030 and being able to electrify things as part of how we do our part to combat climate change and reduce our carbon emissions. So everything about this is a great story,” Kozlowski added.
During Saturday’s event, Hoffstadt was sure let everyone know that the addition of the new program does not mean that the traditional forges and coal fires will be disappearing anytime soon.
“The coal forges are not going away at this point. We have a waiting list of people wanting to be part of our boacksmithing program and we’re hoping these new inductive forges will solve part of that problem. Learning to use these is kind of a skill in itself. And we’re so excited that we are now the regional hub for blacksmith training, thanks to the leadership of our Blacksmithing program by Victoria Ritter. So she will be giving us some skills.Blacksmiths who are maybe a little afraid of that new technology.”
Folsom History partnered with the California Blacksmith Association (CBA) to host educational events and provide access to the new equipment. CBA’s support was instrumental in spreading the adoption of induction forging technology.
“Our goal is to turn The Square into a place where people can make and fulsome, children and adults can actively create together. So what does a historically inspired maker space actually look like? Well this project is a great example of one, added Hoffstadt.”
“We’re looking to take something that has been with us for centuries, blacksmithing, modernize it today and pass it on to another generation,” she added. “SMUD has generously funded this clean blacksmithing program, which will allow us to create inductive forges that are more modern and better for the environment.”
For more information on The Square, Blacksmithing and Folsom History residents can visit www.folsomhistory.org or better yet , pay a visit to the History Museum or the The Square and see everything they have going on, which will include a Haunted History experience coming next month.
As the nation’s sixth-largest, community-owned, not-for-profit electric service provider, SMUD has been providing low-cost, reliable electricity to Sacramento County for more than 75 years. SMUD is a recognized industry leader and award winner for its innovative energy efficiency programs, renewable power technologies and for its sustainable solutions for a healthier environment. Today, SMUD’s power supply is on average about 50 percent carbon free and SMUD has a goal to reach zero carbon in its electricity production by 2030. SMUD’s rates and customer bills are consistently among the lowest in California, and are today, on average, more than 50 percent lower than its neighboring investor-owned utility. For more information on SMUD’s Zero Carbon Plan and its customer programs, visitsmud.org.
Folsom Times is a proud supporter of the preservation of Folsom’s rich History. Both Adam Frick and Bill Sullivan are actively members of the Folsom History Board of Directors as they strive to be engaged with the community of Folsom.
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