Sunday June 29th Sam’s Tap Room: Awards Ceremony for Beartooth Burn (bike road race up Beartooth Pass)

The bio-bus set up for tabling at the local tap room and brewery for Red Lodge Ale. Sam Hoffman, the brewmaster, not only brews his own beer, he fuels part of his operation with home-brewed biodiesel made from local-devived waste vegetable oil. 

We all enjoyed the tour and tasty product he supplied to quench our thirst for information about sustainable brews. Those approaching the table after the race were thirsty for a beer and information about biodiesel and the glass recycling display on our table. Visitors converged at the bus and tap room drawn from a wide geographic area, here for the bike event and other tourist magnets in the area.

Regis Café stepped up to promote the bus by donating fresh baked goods for distributing at our tables.  Richard, a local resident, thanked us for all that we were doing on our tour. He was proud of his fuel-efficient Nissan that recently replaced his Suburban that had “a drinking problem”. Keep up the good work bio-bus crew.

Michael, a local resident we met at the Regis Cafe, brought us up to Beartooth Pass for some mountain snow and magnificent vistas. 

Home Depot: Sheridan, WY

Pulling into Sheridan, WY, we were a bit unsure of our host location at the homebuilding Goliath: Home Depot. As it turns out, the sun was out and so were the people as we rolled down our awning and set up out display tables. Home Depot set out their line of “green” cleaning products and promoted their energy efficient light bulbs.

Appropriate to our location and host, there was public interest in renewable energies and green building techniques. We were pleased to hear that our presence was known and our message effective, as several employees from the store come out on their break to check out the our resources. We gave a few tours of the bus to interested folks who really appreciated our work and wanted to know more about our summer tour on the green bio bus.

40th Annual Beartooth Run - Red Lodge, MT

After an early morning drive from Miles City to Red Lodge, the bus pulled up to the Civic Center to wait for runners to return from the 40^th annual Beartooth Run. When we arrived, a local community pep band played traditional upbeat music and runners began to return. We quickly set up, and learned how to use the awning without a pull-cord. Charlotte, from Northern Plains Resource Council, met the bus crew up there and joined into the discussions.

Before the crew fully set up the display, an organizer for the run came to us and told us she would announce our arrival to people inside and encourage them to visit the bus. Runners and non-runners came to the table shortly afterward. We spoke with mostly local people. The issues discussed included green building, sustainable bio-fuels, and the process of growing the crops. A couple of men asked us about how many barrels per acre a person could get from harvesting different oil seed plants. We did not know the answer. The bus crew is looking into this.

We talked with several people for quite a while. After the running event closed down, some folks stayed around to talk with us. A guy named Michael talked with us about animal factories and the presence of them in his home region outside of Chicago. He also invited us to come over to his house this evening and hang out. Aside from meeting a new potential friend, we gathered 7 new signatures on the Call to Action and discussed local affiliate issues with existing members.

The Thadens!

Right outside of Miles City, we had the privilege of staying with the Thadens, local Northern Plains members. They welcomed us with wine from their vineyard, homemade bread, homegrown garden lettuce an cheese. They also shared their fabulous stories, contagious laughs, and fabulous midnight singing with us.

Miles City BBQ

The bus rolled into the Miles City Community College (MCC) at 2pm. MCC is starting a new bio-fuels degree program. This is really exciting because we were able to discuss the sustainability aspect and hopefully they will pursue this. John Munsell had a Chinese mechanical seed crusher, biodiesel processor, and a seed separator owned by MCC. With this equipment, he gave multiple biodiesel demonstrations throughout the event. Northern Plains along with its local members catered the BBQ with local beef. Despite the wind, the BBQ was a great success. Approximately 100 people attended the event, toured the demonstration, had some local donated beef, and visited the bus, mainly to talk biodiesel, local foods and wind. We met some incredible people including Scott, interested in starting a local foods program, Tommy who is living off of the grid in a solar powered home, and of course the folks starting the biofuels degree program with a WIRED grant through the Department of Education. Northern Plains will hopefully collaborate with local members to establish a local foods project, and to continue discussion on sustainable biofuels with the college.

Sheridan Renewable Energy Homes Tour & Park and Talk

Gathering in the county parking lot in down town Sheridan, we pulled out the awning and set up what is becoming a familiar display, ready to meet locals and exchange information and conversation with community members. Quite a few interested passerbyers dropped in to visit with Shannon and two crew members while the other two set out into the town to talk to people in the streets. The general overall support for a renewable energy future is overwhelming accross the board. Even those working for the oil and gas industry were supportive of future energy development in the renewable and clean sector, signing on to the WORC Call to Action for a Clean Renewable Energy Future.
People started gathering around 1:30 to board the bus for the grand tour of Sheridan's homes going green. Some of which have been working on being more energy efficient for 30 years. The greatest part about the homes was that they looked really average, but were considerably more efficient than the traditional homes in the area. We stopped at seven locations within the city limits that included features such as passive and active solar, rammed earth construction, radient floor heating, straw bail construction and more.
It was wonderful to have a bus full of engaged community members. The 14 passengers on the renewable energy bus were very diverse, ranging from those who had been working with wind energy and radiant heat in their own homes to people that were considering taking the next step up from recycling. We discussed and investigated the stops coming from many walks of life, with a retired U.N. employee, an engineer, a reporter retrofitting a home, and two wonderfully receptive kids. Who know that Sheridan,WY had so many cool things going on.

The Bighorn Mountain Wild and Scenic Trail Run

After leaving a successful event at the Home Depot and eating some great local food for lunch, we went to the Sheridan High School where people registered for a 100 mile run. The event attracted people from many parts of the continent, including Colorado and Alberta, Canada. We set up outside the registration area and talked with folks about renewable energy, recycling, and energy efficiency.

For the first hour, or so, not many people came up to the bus, but after a little while Chelsea went out and began to talk with people and us at the bus become more active in trying to talk with folks as they walked past. Many of the conversations revolved around bio-fuels, but other people liked the concept of the recycled glass used for the WORC and Northern Plains building (Home on the Range), in Billings. One couple from Casper traveled up for the run and showed a strong interest in the glass. The family was landscaping their home and showed a strong interest in using the pulverized glass instead of rock. The problem, however, comes with trying to find the stuff.

All-in-all the event went well, even though the parking the construction crew for the parking lot became loud at times. Kevin brought us sushi, including beef. We stayed at the event for around 4 hours and hopefully made some new contacts for the Powder River Basin Resource Council and collected 3 pages of names on our Call to Action.

Energy Superheros at Crow Agency Elementary

Teaching two classes at the Crow Agency Elementary School was wonderful. The first class was K-2nd grades and the second was 3rd-5th grades. We did an activity out of the Project Learning Tree lesson plan book called Energy Sleuths. The kids drew pictures of superheros and included in the picture where their superhero gets the energy to perform their super power. The kids were very creative. Then we looked through their pictures writing down a list of actual energy sources, whether they are renewable or non-renewable and whether they pollute or don't pollute. For the younger group we stopped there, concluding with a question: Which of the energy sources would be a good idea to use and why? Most of the kindergarteners even got it, naming the energy sources that were renewable and non-polluting as the best to use.


For the older crew we went a step further, and had them break into "expert" groups. We gave each group some background information to read on one energy source. They recorded three facts about their energy and wrote at the top of the page weather it is renewable or non-renewable and weather or not it pollutes. Each group chose a spokesperson to present the facts they found about either coal, wind, geothermal, solar, biomass, hydro, natural gas, hydrogen, or ocean energy. We concluded in the same way as the earlier group, discussing which energy sources would be the best to use.
It was a refreshing experience interacting with children who are so open and joyful.

Powell Valley Recycling Center

After taking a tour of the Powell Valley Recycling Center and talking to Mary Jo, the Center’s director and later talking to community members and neighbors about recycling, the bus and team headed to the Plaza Diane to do some tabling on recyling locally and on renewables as a whole. The Plaza Diane is a square in the center of town, close to banks, restaurants and stores, and our noontime arrival allowed the bright green bus, solar panels, and recycling posts to receive much attention. We were pleasantly surprised at the Powell Tribune’s, Powell’s local newspaper interest and visit with our bus. We were even more pleased with the great folks that approached the bus, from the mechanic shop owner in Powell who has an electric powered car, to students visiting the area from neighboring states who will be meeting with us as we continue our journey, to older couples interested in solar energy, to folks with big cars who leave their cars at home and bike to work! These folks and all the visitors we had were excited and happy to their own share stories, making the event extremely worthwhile for all us, including the Clark Resource Council, our local Chapter in the area. The event permitted the Clark Resource Council to make some great contacts with the Powell Valley Communtity Education Center for potential collaboration. All in all this was a great event, gave the bus some visibilty and allowed us to become more familiar with the local issues and meet some really neat folks!

Clark Jubilee Parade

We were the number 10 entry in the Clark Jubilee Parade . . . surrounded by horses and flags, the general feel was positive with high energy. Red, white and blue running into the mountains, Uncle Sam guided the renewable energy bus, the smell of french fries billowing from the exhaust. Glitter clad horses and side saddlin' ladies waved at the young and old spectators. We passed out vitamins in our bright yellow biodiesel shirts, and much to our surprise, people loved it. The announcer on a flatbed was great with his dry sense of humor while introducing each entry. At one point he stated, "I could use some of that renewable energy". Members from Clark Resource Council joined us in the parade, carrying the Homegrown Prosperity Renewable Energy Bus Tour Banner.

After the second escapade down the parade strip we parked the bus at the community center and learned some really interesting things about the community. We realized that small scale biodiesel production has been on many minds. One farmer named Mark is getting ready to plant more Camolina than he knows what to do with, the Mt. Carmel boys ranch has ordered a biodiesel procesor to start making fuel for a couple of tractors, another community member named Jim has a couple of hot water heaters that aren't in use, (hot water heaters can be used as biodiesel procesors), and there are multiple horse and cattle ranchers that could benefit from the byproduct of the seed pressing. Before the summer is out, we would like to see Deb with the Clark Resource Council get a biodiesel meeting/discussion together with some resources and a plan.

Before filing into the rec center for a community potluck and chior concert, over 80 folks signed a petition to get recycling bins at the Clark landfill, and over 50 also signed to have a Clark's Fork Watershed Plan developed by the EPA. The Clark Community Choir displayed how people from all backgrounds can come together. The sound of their voices and the underlying feeling brought a tear to my eyes.

All in all, Clark is a great place on the cusp of community scale biodiesel production and is full of people with much interest in recycling and water issues.

Ready for Kick Off

Yeah! We are getting ready for the Homegrown prosperity Renewable Energy Bus Tour! We kick off Friday in Billings. Come join us at Home on the Range, 220 S. 27th st.

See you there!

The Bus Crew