Rice Growing Co-operative Banks Solar Credits,
Technocrat.Net, Massachusetts 6/18/05
A rice-growing co-operative is turning sun into savings for its members.

Grain Silos

The Butte County Rice Growers Association last year saved 70 percent on the cost of electricity at two of its warehouses by harnessing the power of the sun to dry and store the co-operative's rice.

Pendleton co-op to produce biodiesel,
Capital Press, Salem, Oregon 6/17/05
Another co-operative moving into renewable energy sources is the Pendleton Grain Growers Co-operative.

Al Gosiak, president of the Grain Growers, said the move into biodiesel for furnace oil is a natural step for the co-operative. The co-operative already has the infrastructure to sell and distribute biodiesel. And wheat growers in Umatilla County and bordering counties can use another rotation crop to cut down on weed and disease pressure. " ... We think we can create a sustainable industry that is locally based and locally benefited, " he said.