Jeff Berman had an idea that would mean self-reliance and financial independence for a town that had empty storefronts boarded up next to grain silos and wheat and bean plantations.  He wanted to build a facility in Dove Creek that could turn sunflower seeds into Biodiesel. To do that, farmers would have to start producing sunflowers.

Fields and fields of them.

After he convinced the farmers to begin growing, they found themselves with thousands of acres of head high sunflowers. Investments had been raised to the tune of 5 million dollars for the plant, but they had to rethink their entire business model in mid construction. Government biodiesel funding dried up and they decided to focus on the food grade sunflower oil production process.

It was a bold move given the amount of faith the community needed to place in Berman.

He stuck to his vision of a green company and worked at finding a solution to the impending disaster. His self-reliance won out, resulting in a renewable energy source.

He found by converting the biomass (the left over stalks and bits of plant) into a pellet, he could burn it and it would give off a gas. Add to this their solar projects and solar panels, soon they will be able to power their entire operation from completely green components.

Once again, necessity is the mother of invention. Self-reliance and the entrepreneur win out.

Shannon Lavenia- Polaris Media Group