2300 Miles on Veggie Oil!

Well, we did it! Just got back from traveling from Boca Raton, FL to Baltimore, MD and back again using only waste veggie oil (WVO) for fuel. It's been one of our goals, to see family more often, and do so with a conscience, knowing that we could travel and not depend on Big Oil. So, when we were planning on visiting the family to attend Clint's brother's wedding, we obviously knew we would take the veggie bus. The tricky part, because of work schedules and a limited amount of time to take off, we had to get to MD in two days, and manage to locate veggie on the way. Now, the fun in finding veggie can be off the beaten path, and the best is of course free. But, we have been fortunate on our last two trips, with a little help from Google, to locate small, family-run Biodiesel businesses that actually collect and use waste veggie oil to make their bio diesel. In July, when we traveled to the beautiful mountains of Asheville, NC, and then up to Greensboro to see my sister, we located Patriot Biodiesel. They hooked us up and provided us enough fuel to make it back down to FL, with a little jaunt to Jekyll Island on the way. This trip, we went further north, and we had less time to get there and get back home. So, when Clint came across Country Boy Biodiesel, we were stoked. They were right off of 95, just north of Fayetteville, NC, and happened to be in a perfect spot to refuel, because any further north and we may not have made it. A bit off the beaten path, but all the more fun, and reaffirmed my amazement at my hubby's ability to park our rig in the toughest of places, this one being in their front yard! Stephan and the guys were awesome, were available to refuel when we were coming through, which on the road with kids happens to change often, and on our way back they even accommodated us on a Sunday evening. They have a lot of cool things planned as they look to expand the business, so we will definitely be keeping in touch with them!

Many people have the false impression that Biodiesel companies are using up all of our corn crops for fuel, taking away from what is needed to feed hungry Americans. But, this is far from the truth. Many Biodiesel companies collect waste vegetable oil from restaurants and then reuse this waste along with other byproducts, including alcohol, to make biodiesel fuel. We feel great about supporting these companies, because they are helping to reuse a waste product to help get Americans off our dependence on oil, and they do the collecting for us when we either don't have the time or resources to go find waste veggie ourselves. This last trip we needed to get there and get back quick, and pulling a 10 hour day on the road with three kids is not easy. Add on an adventure to find veggie, and it makes for one long day. Using a company like Country Boy Biodiesel enabled us to stay on the road and continue our journey on veggie without a hitch. Thanks guys!

There may be other trips where finding waste veggie is part of the adventure, but we are just glad to have this valuable resource for the times when we need it most. Some day, hopefully soon, you will find these companies with fueling stations along 95 and other major interstate highways, where loads of veggie fueled vehicles will make routine stops when they need to just like the typical gas stations that dot our landscape. A mix of this and other fuel cell charging stations will be the norm. Just help keep spreading the word, there are alternatives to gas and oil, people! And, we are proud to say that we made all 2300 miles on this last trip exclusively on WVO. That's right, not one stop at a gas station, or one trail of exhaust, just the stench of french fries rolling along 95. So, take that BP!