Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative

We Need Your Support

Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:48:51 +0000

As our mild winter rolls on and spring seems to be quickly approaching you might be getting excited to start using biodiesel. So are we! The gears are turning behind the scenes and we’re doing so much to make sure that we can provide you with a clean and certified fuel. We’re meeting with the Town of Ithaca Planning Department to work on our full site plan, dreaming of a clean and streamlined shop, and of course getting pumped up for our big fundraiser and membership drive on March 11.

You might be wondering how our community can support us so that we can open our doors as soon as possible. The answer is simple…

Give the gift of biodiesel!

In order to pay for our start-up costs like paying design professionals, purchasing equipment, and modifying a new facility to meet our necessary design standards, we have a goal of at least $100,000 to raise. Since we’re a cooperative corporation we won’t be asking for recurring donations from the community. We plan to be a self sufficient business after this initial round of requesting gifts. We just need some help getting on the road…

So if you’re interesting in donating to our start-up campaign, independently of whether or not you will purchase a membership during the month of March, then please make a secure gift payment through Paypal.

Your support today will ensure energy security tomorrow.

March is Membership Month

Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:45:46 +0000

We’re having a membership drive! We know that you’re all interested in fueling your car or heating your home with biodiesel that is locally made from recycled cooking oil. We also know that even if you’re without a diesel vehicle you still want to support the production of local and sustainable biofuels.

So please join us for a kickoff dinner with local food, drinks, music, & friends.

Sunday, March 11
5:00 – 8:00 pm
the Space@GreenStar
700 West Buffalo St, Ithaca

Join our cooperative during the month of March for special member discounts. We’ll share plans for our new facility and offer opportunities for you, our community, to support us.

This event is free and open to the public, so bring your friends!

For more information or to purchase ad space in our program, please contact McKenzie Jones-Rounds at info@ithacabiodiesel.org or 717-903-4871.

New Year, New Car…Diesel Car, That Is

Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:25:12 +0000

Did you make a new year’s resolution to contribute to a more resilient and sustainable local economy? Of course you did! Lucky for you, we’re pretty committed to the same things, starting right here with biodiesel in our own community. We also like to help each other out a little bit, too, so if you’re in the market for a more fuel efficient car that can be fueled by a waste, then make 2012 the year of biodiesel and start your search right here.

According to the seller, this 1998 VW Beetle TDI runs pretty well and gets 50 miles per gallon. Give her a loving home in the new year and start driving the good stuff.

Democracy and Biodiesel Now

Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 21:11:02 +0000

We believe that our cooperative can have an impact on the world, and we look forward to starting an even greater ripple effect of alterantive fuel and energy in and out of our community as we prepare to set up a great new shop. Not only do we think that biodiesel can make a difference, we know that being a cooperative allows us to be part of a necessary movement to shift economic power to local, democrative companies. Supporting us supports you!

Hear what political economist Gar Alperovitz has to say about worker owned cooperatives on Democracy Now!

Empowered Screening

Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:48:00 +0000

Support Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative at a screening of a new, local documentary! From our friends over at Empowered:

“Wednesday, December 7, 7-9pm
Cinemapolis, 120 E. Green St., Ithaca, NY
Tickets are $10, $8 for IGBA and Sustainable Tompkins members

Join us for an encore Ithaca screening featuring tabling by local sustainability groups and renewable energy installers. Since our community sneak peek screening at the end of September, we have refined the film and added lots of animations so even you’ve seen it, there’s lot’s of new stuff to check out!

The screening will be followed by a special “Women Power” panel discussion including director Shira Golding Evergreen and some of the local innovators featured in the film – Gay Nicholson of Sustainable Tompkins, McKenzie Jones Rounds of Ithaca Biodiesel, Gwendolyn Barr of Weaver Wind Energy, Annie Koreman of Sierra Club Finger Lakes Group and Lexie Hain of Enfield Energy and Snug Planet.”

We hope to see you there!

Greasy Holidays To You

Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:39:07 +0000

We hope that you’re all enjoying this lovely time of year. The weather in Ithaca is finally starting to feel appropriate (60 at the end of November – climate change, anyone?) and we’re sending out wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season filled with loving family, yummy food, and renewable energy!

Just a reminder that if you’ve got some extra cooking grease lying around from all of your holiday feastivities, send it on over to us! We’ll filter it into road- or home-ready oil for converted vehicles and furnaces, and then when we’ve moved into our new space and are up and running again, it can become biodiesel. Whatever you do, DO NOT put your used cooking oil down the drain. It can clog your pipes and even cause sewers to back up, so that’s gross. Recycle your grease, your plumber will thank you.

Mmm, plant-based, non-petroleum oil – the gift that keeps on giving.

This Is What Success Looks Like

Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:19:23 +0000

Tonight we went before the Zoning Board and , well, we did it, we got the use variance!

As you can imagine, we’re all very excited. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, which now begins with working alongside the Town Planning Department to get into the specifics our new facility.

Can you tell that we’re pleased?

Yee haw.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho

Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:37:16 +0000

…to the Zoning Board we go! We’ve given the Town of Ithaca Zoning Board of Appeals a bunch of information to sift through so now we go before them with heads held high and fingers crossed in hopes of receiving the use variance we need on 614 South Elmira Road. Bring your posse to show support on Monday, November 21 from 7-9 pm at 215 North Tioga Street. Once we’re successful on this front, we can start having even more fun!

Hitting the Circuit

Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 21:17:47 +0000

We hope you’ll come see us this Thursday at Cornell’s Mann Library for their annual Local Food, Fiber & Energy Fair. We’ll be there to answer questions, hand out some fancy new pamphlets, and schmooze with other people who are cool enough to go local. You don’t want to miss out on the fun!

Now We’re Getting Fancy

Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 04:45:26 +0000

In our efforts to bolster the grease world by maintaining a level of transparency for other grassroots biofuels movements, we’ve created an Ithaca Biodiesel Cooperative Resource Guide, an excerpt from a document that we just delivered to the Town of Ithaca Zoning Board of Appeals . It contains information about relevant codes and regulations as well as some details about the biodiesel making process. Get in touch with us if you would like to see our site specific plans or have questions about any of the steps that we’re taking to get the Ithaca area driving on locally made renewable fuels. And keep watching…we’re checking things off of the list.

Thanks to Ari Moore of Shirari Industries for creating some exciting images for us.