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South Butte Smart Growth and Sustainable Farms, Businesses and C
More than 50 people packed the banquet room at Frith’s Thanks a Latte in downtown Biggs Thursday night, March 13, for Opportunity Knocking: “Future Vision” for Gridley/Biggs, an open discussion meeting organized by the South Butte Smart Growth and Sustainable Farms, Businesses and Communities Coalition. In addition to business and community leaders, farmers, politicians and concerned citizens, five members of the Butte Pioneers Leadership Training Program come from all over the county to listen to the ideas being presented. The meeting was an opportunity for members of the South Butte County community to hear about and discuss ways of promoting growth that is smart, planned and environmentally friendly.
“You can be green or organic, work to protect the environment, and make money,” said organizer and moderator Eileen Burke-Trent, of Dragon’s Lea Farm in Gridley, and a financial and retirement planning consultant, and stockbroker with A.G. Edwards/Wachovia Securities in Oroville. Burke-Trent founded the coalition nearly three years ago with Donna Bayles of Bayliss Lavender Ranch in Biggs. They shared a concern of the pressure growth would have on South Butte County without proper planning. They decided to work to raise awareness and start a dialogue about “green” development, sustainability and maintaining our quality of life. They want people to really think about and examine what growth and development, or the lack of it for that matter, really mean to the community.
In addition to Biggs and Gridley, the coalition also considers the Oroville area to be part of South Butte County and vital to its future, said Burke-Trent.
Rich Gillis and Vinicio Vides, co-founders of Energy Alternative Solutions, Inc., a company that produces biodiesel, talked about the benefits of that type of fuel, including cost savings and greatly reduced emissions. Their versatile process allows for the use of multiple feedstocks, such as sunflower, safflower, soy and canola, for the oils that are the raw materials for producing biodiesel. “Yellow grease,” a by-product of rendered restaurant waste oil and grease, is also used. Yellow grease is often dumped into the ocean causing great environmental damage.
The company, which is only one of three licensed and operating facilities in California producing quality biodiesel, is looking at the Biggs/Gridley area as a possible source for their raw materials, according to Gillis. They are also considering the area as a site to build a biodiesel plant, which could employ as many 150 people. Not only does biodiesel reduce emissions, the production is very clean and has little impact on the environment, said Gillis.
While Gillis acknowledged that the relatively new company is on the fast track to profitability, he said he is also dedicated to cleaning up the environment. Gillis added that he believes profit does not have to come at environmental expense, and new technologies and productions methods can benefit the environment.
Tim Schmidt, founder of XtremeHomes in Oroville, told the story of his quest to build the greenest home possible and the booming business he started as a result. Schmidt said he made his money in the technology industry developing PDA devices, but the constant travel and tremendous work load became too demanding so he retired, bought some land overlooking Lake Oroville and started building his dream home. He did extensive research and explored virtually every type of new and environmentally friendly technology available. This endeavor ultimately led to the formation, development and rapid expansion of XtremeHomes.
XtremeHomes is a leading environmentally focused, off-site built (modular and prefab) home producer, according to its Website. The company provides a diverse array of architectural styles and sizes. Through its ongoing research and development, XtremeHomes focuses on ways to produce homes with less environmental impact, that are more energy efficient, healthier and of higher quality.
With a “healthy disregard for the impossible,” Schmidt said he and his company kept pushing the envelope and trying new ideas until he was able to manufacture what was widely considered the greenest home in America and featured in Sunset Magazine. XtremeHomes has also been on the pages of National Geographic and many other publications.
These are not your typical manufactured homes. Many are high-end, modern homes that are of higher quality, cost less, take less time to complete and are more energy efficient than stick-built homes.
The Oroville-based company currently has about 100 employees, and is on track to have 300 by July, said Schmidt. Business is growing by leaps and bounds and keeping up with demand is nearly impossible. But Schmidt had never let that stop him.
John Goeschl was on hand to present a new twist on a very “green” and revolutionary “SIPS’ wall-building technology developed by Frank Qian of Scieque International. These building blocks have been compared to LEGOS or Lincoln Logs. Not only are they more energy efficient than traditional panelized SIPS walls, they are more fireproof and give off less toxic when gasses when burned. They are also lighter and easier to assemble, and therefore require a less skilled workforce and reduce the risk on on-job injuries. The lightweight blocks can be assembled into high-rises up to 12 stories without a metal infrastructure.
Burke-Trent also talked about the importance of using the resources we have to help drive tourism and economic development. She identified South Butte County’s abundant farm land and natural beauty, an existing and highly developed and maintained trail system, recreational opportunities and rich and colorful history as valuable resources that can help the area prosper.
The next meeting planned for April 17 will address developing equestrian communities and equestrian sporting events to increase tourism, promote alternative agriculture development, and increase the average income of the area, preservation and funding historic downtowns, developing a non-motorized trails system and promoting farm stay and bed & breakfast programs.
The ideas are good, but it’s going to take a group effort, said Biggs Vice-Mayor Roger Frith. “We need to be together or we will all fail.”
Burke-Trent added that every journey begins with first steps, and we are farther along than most.
The next meeting will also be at Frith’s Thanks a Latte Cafe, 488 B St. in downtown Biggs. For further information, questions and comments, call or e-mail Eileen Burke-Trent at 530-846-4444 or at southbuttesmartgrowth@yahoo.com , or weekdays at her A.G. Edwards/ Wachovia Securities office at 530-533-0438. For more information about Smart Growth, go to the Smart Growth Network website at www.smartgrowth.org
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