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.

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.

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.

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!