Here are some samples of the work we did last year. Picking up Grease On their grant application Piedmont Biofuels wrote: We are a small biofuels cooperative in Moncure, NC dedicated to the production of clean, renewable biodiesel fuel, and providing education on sustainability and renewable energy. As part of our biodiesel production process we bring in waste vegetable oil that we collect from area cafeterias and other sources. For our collection of waste oil we require a vehicle that can transport large amounts of oil and pumping equipment under cover. It must be a heavy-duty vehicle that is appropriate for transporting substantial liquid weight. For that reason we are soliciting a large diesel box truck to be used specifically for waste oil collection for our biodiesel process.  We liked this one a lot so Piedmont got their truck. Value of Grant Award: $3000.00 Hot Water Wash

When it became apparent that the kids at the Moncure School had no hot water in their bathrooms, one parent started a petition. Which started an uproar. Some said hot water was needed to kill germs. Others said it was unnecessary. We didn’t weigh in. We simply thought that washing hands with warm water feels better on a cold day. And we thought it would be great for the kids to see that the heat came courtesy of the sun. Abundance funded a complete solar thermal system, the heart of which is in the science classroom, so the kids can see how renewable energy works.
We hired the folks at Southern Energy Management to do this installation, and were delighted when it made the front page of the Chatham Record.Value of Grant Award: $5300.00
For the full report, check out the Chatham County School System site.

Another Truck

Those folks at Piedmont love their diesel trucks. In their second grant application they wrote: A big part of our work in renewable energy is to educate the public on the use of biodiesel. Our Clean Technology Trailer is a mobile biodiesel reactor that we bring with us to conduct on-farm workshops throughout North Carolina. It was originally funded by a grant from the State Energy Office and Central Carolina Community College.

This mobile processor allows us to demonstrate various biodiesel production technologies during our workshops, and allows attendees to get hands on experience in biodiesel production. In the past we have depended on borrowing a pick up truck from one of our worker-members, but the cooperative needs to acquire its own vehicle to expand its capacity to give these workshops outside of our local area. For that reason we are soliciting a grant to purchase a one-ton work truck that we will use to transport Clean Tech, as well as for other on-farm work purposes…�

We think the people at Piedmont Biofuels are fighting the good fight. Put us down for one more truck.
Value of Grant Award: $6500.00

Slicing it Fine

Chatham Marketplace is Pittsboro’s local coop grocery store. They have been a remarkable addition to our foodshed and have reduced our community’s food miles dramatically:

In order to provide additional services for our customers, our deli is in need of a bread slicer and a meat slicer. Our customers have to drive to Carrboro in order to purchase sliced artisan breads and organic, hormone free meat, now they can purchase these same items from a local company and use fewer resources to satisfy their healthy eating habits. Being able to slice bread and meat will make our store more efficient, and get us to profitability quicker.

We like profitable enterprises. And we like helping those who are on their way to sustaining their vision.

Spreading the Word

A grassroots community group needed a website. They wrote:

The Chatham Alliance for Sustainable Energy (CASE) is a network of people that has been meeting for more than a year to plan activities and events that promote the implementation of sustainable energy strategies in Chatham County, N.C. Our activities looking forward will include working with County / town governments, private businesses, and county citizens to initiate sustainable energy educational projects for institutional buildings, economic development, residential construction and other sectors of the Chatham County economy.

We love to help people spread their message especially when the message is a lot like ours. Check out the shiny new website for CASE.
Value of Grant Award $1000.00

Having a Meeting

A national grassroots effort wanted to hold a conference. They wrote:

The Sustainable Biodiesel Council is a trade association formed to raise awareness of sustainability and to facilitate the adoption of sustainable practices in the biodiesel industry. The Council provides technical support relating to the creation and operation of sustainable biodiesel businesses, lobbies for supportive legislation, and builds awareness and demand for sustainable biodiesel among consumers. Established in late 2005, the Sustainable Biodiesel Council (SBC) grew out of a network of concerned industry professionals seeking to raise the profile of sustainability through a formal coalition. The SBC works in collaboration with the National Biodiesel Board.

Mission: Promote sustainability in the biodiesel industry in order to realize environmental stewardship, shared economic development, and a stable, secure, self-reliant energy future.

Value of Grant Award: $500.00

Those were our projects for 2006. Check out those who contributed to help make them happen.