This morning, I woke up to Biodiesel.

After the glow plugs warmed, I turned the key on my first tank of biodiesel. It was exciting. The engine purred to life without the traditional gray cloud belching from the tail-pipe, and my trip to work was smooth.

Did the engine sound different? How was the acceleration? Will my mileage increase or decrease? These questions whirred through my mind, but were drowned out by a great feeling; my fuel choice finally fits my values of sustainability and emissions reduction. I never thought I’d be excited about fuel, but there it is! So, we’re committing our diesel fleet to biodiesel. We’ve been tracking our mileage for the past 6 months or so and will report on how biodiesel works out for us as we continue its use.

Where can you get biodiesel? It can be hard to find. We joined the Northfield Biodiesel Buyers’ Club which offers a 50% mix of diesel and biodiesel in the cold months and 100% biodiesel in the warmer months. Bruce Anderson of Renew Northfield spearheaded the group. Give him a call to find out more at (507) 645-7133.

In the mean time, watch for use cruising on biodiesel!