Start your own Biodiesel Station

BioFuel Oasis Biodiesel Intensive:
How to Start Your Own Biodiesel Station

Dates: February 18-23, 2007
Location: BioFuel Oasis, Berkeley, California
Cost: $650 (includes tuition and breakfast & lunch)
Number of Students: 10-12
Instructors: Jennifer Radtke & Melissa Hardy

After much anticipation and numerous requests, the BioFuel Oasis is offering this innovative intensive course. We believe there should be more small grassroots biodiesel stations in California and around the country. This course will give you the tools to start a biodiesel filling station in your town or city. Walk away with a vision, finished business plan and everything you need to make this happen! The class will cover:

* Fuel Procurement and Quality Testing
* Hands-on Equipment Building and Plumbing
* Taxes, Permits & Zoning
* Developing Your Market
* Additional Income Generators: Merchandise, Delivery,
Classes, Mechanics, Cafe, etc.
* Visioning & Funding Ideas
* Accounting & Small Business 101
* Decision-making, Burnout, Getting Along

We will use Jennifer's zine as a text book for the class and give you hands-on experience at the BioFuel Oasis.

We encourage 2-3 people interested in starting a business from the same area to come to the class together. Class will be 8 hours each day (approximately 9am - 5pm) except for Wednesday, when students will have the day-off from class but will have homework to do.

Email oasisintensive@gmail.com to apply for this course or if you have any questions. The application deadline is December 20.

The BioFuel Oasis is a women and worker-owned cooperative in Berkeley, California that sells ASTM quality biodiesel at a public pump. We opened in December 2003 and currently have over 1600 customers.

Jennifer Radtke is co-founder and co-owner of the BioFuel Oasis and a member of the Berkeley Biodiesel Collective. She has been teaching classes on homebrewing biodiesel and building the Appleseed processor for the last 3 years. Her zine on starting your own biodiesel station will be out in December.

Melissa Hardy is a co-owner of the BioFuel Oasis and a member of the City of San Francisco's Biodiesel Access Task Force. Melissa has been teaching about Biodiesel and vegetable oil fuels since 2002 and teaching environmental education around California since 1997. She graduated in 1998 from UC Berkeley and has extensive experience with community organizing and small business bookkeeping.

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If you need a place to stay, contact me.