Homegrown Prosperity Energy Bus Tour stops in Baker City Aug. 21

A renewable energy bus tour will stop in Baker City Thursday, Aug. 21, as part of a seven-state trip that "promotes good-paying jobs and income for rural communities and offers solutions to reduce greenhouse gases and pollution."

The Homegrown Prosperity Renewable Energy Bus Tour is a project of the Western Organization of Resource Councils, a non-profit based in Billings, Mont., in conjunction with the seven non-profit state member groups. The themes of the tour are renewable energy, energy efficiency, biofuels, and local foods.

The tour started in June and will visit 40 communities in seven states by the end of this summer.

Besides using biodiesel instead of petrol diesel, the bus is equipped with solar panels to power a laptop computer and a TV, and there is a solar oven and other displays.

During their Baker City stop, the bus will be parked at the OSU Extension Building, 2610 Grove St., from 10 a.m. to noon for biodiesel demonstrations and information about alternative fuels.

In the afternoon, the bus will move across Campbell Street to Geiser-Pollman Park from 2-6 p.m., which includes the Baker City Farmers Market from 4-6 p.m.

At 6 o'clock the community is invited to a potluck in the park. But this isn't any ordinary potluck — everyone is encouraged to bring dishes made with ingredients available within 100 miles of Baker City. (In addition to food, please bring plates and utensils.)

Everyone attending will have the chance to mark, on a map, the place where their dish ingredients originated.

For more information, visit this Web site: www.homegrownprosperity.org.