By Michael Kluz, Rural Energy Specialist, WyEast Resource Conservation and Development Council

We often hear the words disruptor or innovator and think of larger-than-life corporations like Apple, or tech CEOs with innovative market changing products like Elon Musk’s Tesla. These companies are headquartered in places like Santa Clara County, CA (Silicon Valley) or Austin, Texas, where the population swells to nearly 2 million people. What if I told you that such innovation is also happening in a city of 604?

Enter Dufur, Oregon, and Wy’East RC&D. Wy’East, Sustainable Northwest, Forth and, Bonneville Environmental foundation: Four Oregon based nonprofits have created a team to revolutionize the agricultural field, bringing rural Oregon to the forefront of new technology. This collaborative effort has launched a program to put some of the nation’s first electric powered farm equipment into the hands of rural agricultural producers across Oregon. Think free car share program but with electric tractors and Rivians…

As I’m writing this I just got back to our office after meeting Senator Merkley (D-Ore.) who recently helped our Rural Electrification (E-Farm) team secure $1.5 million for this project through the U.S. Department of Energy. A month ago, Wy’East just recently hired our fifth staff member. We are not a large nonprofit, and yet as Titus the Director of RARE AmeriCorps often likes to say, “we are getting things done for Rural Oregon!”

When I first moved to Oregon before the start of my service year, I didn’t know what to expect. I moved to Oregon from a smaller suburban community in Southeastern Wisconsin. Now, the rural communities I have had the privilege of working in these past few months would laugh at my definition of small, but nonetheless it was a huge change for me. I packed up my life in Wisconsin and moved quite literally across the country to a state I’d never been and began working for an organization that prior to RARE I had never heard of. Even with all these unknowns at the outset, this has been one of the best decisions of my life.

Even my first day was a wild and crazy adventure! After touring my new office and workspace in The Dalles, a larger city just north of Dufur right along the Columbia River, I hopped in the truck with my supervisor Robert. Next thing I know we were on the freeway heading to Missoula Montana, electric tractor in tow. Now, it’s not every day that I’ve gotten to talk with the governor, show off an electric tractor in Montana, or have a conversation with a senator. But every day has been a new adventure. My work is centered around creating a rural energy network in Oregon. The goal is to help rural small businesses and farmers in the best way possible when it comes to energy efficiency and renewables. At Wy’East we often talk about saving folks water, energy, and money. A major part of this is bringing people together. Connecting farmers with incentives through their local utility, helping them write grants and receive funding through USDA Rural Development or simply hearing about their business, and their farm that’s been a part of their family for generations. These are the kinds of conversations that I will never forget. I came to Oregon and to the RARE program looking for the space to gain real world boots on the ground experience before pursuing graduate school. While I have learned all about irrigation efficiency and on farm renewables, or even USDA programs, some of the most rewarding learning experiences have been seeing “Rural Oregon”. Cliché I know. I’m not from a large city like Milwaukee or Chicago, but there is something special about these small rural communities. The way I was welcomed into Dufur and The Dalles with open arms was truly special to me. Seeing the community come together for one of the most heartfelt Veteran’s Day school assemblies I have ever attended. Taking conference calls outside of the market while people go about their day, and occasionally having a conversation with some of the local farmers as they pick up an order at the store. These are the memories that will stick with me far beyond any of the fantastic practical work experience that RARE and Wy’East have given me. Not only the memories but a fresh perspective on some of our nation’s most vibrant communities. Communities that the national news sadly glazes over. Things are happening in Rural Oregon and in Rural communities across the country. New things, exciting innovations, and they are being spearheaded by some of the state’s most passionate people. Next time you turn on the news you never know, you might just hear about a small community in Oregon and how the people there are changing the world one farm at a time.

About the author, Michael Kluz: Born and raised in the Midwest, Michael received his B.S. in Natural Resource Management and Planning and minor in Sustainable Energy from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point. A strong interest in natural resources and sustainability allowed Michael to work for the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI), as a member of the community sustainability working group. There he collaborated with the Governor’s Taskforce on Climate Change and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to explore how Wisconsin communities were responding to shifting climactic conditions. Recently, Michael worked at Midwest Renewable Energy Association, working to integrate renewable energy and efficiency practices into homes, businesses, and communities. Working at MREA highlighted the impact a small nonprofit could have particularly within the energy sector. Michael is excited to continue to provide this personal “Boots on the Ground” approach to energy projects serving rural communities across Oregon. When not working with local farmers you will most likely find Michael trail running or exploring the mountains of Central Oregon.

Interested in gaining environmental and sustainability planning experience of your own? Are you looking for a life changing experience in rural Oregon? Learn more about serving with the RARE AmeriCorps Program. Applications for Year 30 (2023-24) due April 30, 2023 by 11:59pm PDT.