Participants arrived one crisp September morning to the gentle sounds of Anahuac Farm waking up. The E-Farms team, who works to evaluate and accelerate the adoption of electric farming equipment, and the Anahuac Farm crew welcomed guests with coffee, snacks, and a display of electric farming equipment. Our all-electric quiver included a tractor, UTV side-by-side, mini-excavator, mower, and truck. Though every machine was powered on, the only sounds were birdsong and soft conversation. 

Sustainable Northwest hosted another successful and informative Making Energy Work webinar! Watch the recording to learn more about recent REAP grant updates. Along with Wy’East RC&D, the Oregon Department of Energy and Energy Trust of Oregon presented and discussed their available resources for Oregon businesses and agricultural producers wanting to pursue energy projects.

Participants arrived one crisp September morning to the gentle sounds of Anahuac Farm waking up. The E-Farms team, who works to evaluate and accelerate the adoption of electric farming equipment, and the Anahuac Farm crew welcomed guests with coffee, snacks, and a display of electric farming equipment. Our all-electric quiver included a tractor, UTV side-by-side, mini-excavator, mower, and truck. Though every machine was powered on, the only sounds were birdsong and soft conversation. 

“You can’t hear it, but all the equipment is idling right now,” Robert Wallace, from the E-Farms team, pointed out. The quiet operation is one of the most noticeable benefits of electric farming equipment.

Believe it or not, we have officially turned our calendars to October. Before we grab our flannels and head out to enjoy some fall foliage hikes, pumpkin carving, and warm beverages, I wanted to reflect on some key takeaways from the 10th annual Fall Energy Symposium. This sold-out, three-day event brought together over one hundred rural energy leaders from across the region for field tours, panel discussions, and networking receptions. Here are some highlights that stood out to me:

For John and Marlene Bles, cattle ranching has been a “retirement occupation” for the last 20 years. Irrigation system inefficiencies and rising energy costs at their 950-acre ranch near Klamath Falls in Southern Oregon drove the Bleses to investigate better options. Energy-efficiency solutions and cash incentives from Energy Trust caught their attention.

These days, the central Oregon town — home to just 37 residents as of the 2020 census — is a much quieter place. So quiet, in fact, that its clear night skies and lack of light pollution recently earned it the distinction of being Oregon’s first Dark Sky-certified city.

On September 18th-20th, 2024 Sustainable Northwest, with support from Energy Trust of Oregon, Wy’East RC&D, and Oregon Dept. of Energy, hosted the 9th Annual Fall Energy Symposium in Wasco County. This year we had our largest turnout yet with over 100 clean energy drivers from every corner of the state joining us throughout the 3-day event.

What if we could merge tradition with innovation, fostering sustainable practices while celebrating the rich heritage of cherry farming? This vision comes to life each year at the Pre-Harvest Cherry Tour hosted by Oregon State University Extension.

It’s June, which means it is cherry season in Oregon! In fact, cherry and fruit production is a big deal for Oregon. Our lands along the Willamette Valley, as well as Hood River and the Columbia River Gorge, are renowned for their idyllic conditions that have supported a thriving fruit industry in Oregon for generations.

The Dalles, Ore., Jan. 25, 2024 — New funding from Google will support a regional effort to build both climate and economic resilience in the Columbia River Gorge. Google is providing $150,000 to The Dalles-based nonprofit Wy’East Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D). 

One of the first lessons Michael Kluz learned as a RARE member working for Wy’East Resource Conservation and Development was that no two rural energy projects look alike.

On November 2nd and 3rd, 2023 Sustainable Northwest, with support from Energy Trust of Oregon, Oregon Dept. of Energy, Wy’East RC&D, Wisewood Energy, and Oregon Clean Power Co-op, hosted the 8th annual Fall Energy Symposium in Benton County. The sold-out event featured an OSU clean energy tour, engaging panel discussions, networking with clean energy drivers from across the state, and much more.

Sustainable Northwest and our Electric Farms (E-FARMS) partners – Wy’East RC&D, Forth Mobility, and Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) – hosted an electric tractor demonstration day with The Black Food Sovereignty Coalition (BFSC). The event took place at Howell Territorial Farm on Sauvie Island, one of BFSC’s two community farms, with roughly 30 people attending. 

Water is a precious commodity in drought-stricken southern Oregon. In Klamath County, a rural area known for its natural beauty, farming culture and outdoor recreation, local producers are having to make tough choices as they navigate dwindling resources.

With tractors being used in vineyards, berry fields and hobby farms, the EV industry hopes to prove out the promise of electrifying the $38 billion US agricultural vehicle industry.

DUFUR, Ore. — The first time Robert Wallace started an electric tractor, he was astonished by how quiet it was.