PHOENIX, Ore. — Rising Sun Farms, best known for its line of cheese tortas and organic pesto sauces, began under the influence of wind in the 1980s and now is helping support new wind and other alternative power developments through Pacific Power’s Blue Sky program.

"We’re a family that likes to vote with our dollars," said Elizabeth Fujas, owner and president, who got her culinary sea legs as a cook on ocean racing sailboats in the 1970s. "The more people, businesses and individuals, opt for programs like Blue Sky, the more alternative power there will be. We try to think about how what we’re doing today affects the seventh generation down the road."

Blue Sky enables customers to help bring more renewable energy into the region. Energy generated from wind, biomass, solar and geothermal helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Rising Sun Farms is buying 28 blocks a month of Blue Sky Block wind power. Over the course of a year, its Blue Sky purchase reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 34 tons, which has the same environmental benefit of planting more than 6,600 trees or not driving nearly 72,000 miles. Buying just one, 100 kilowatt-hour increment of Blue Sky Block costs only $1.95 per month.

The company, which now employs 25 in a 20,000 square-foot combination processing plant and warehouse, began on the sea where self-sufficiency is a necessity. Fujas’ sauces had already made her a legend among the spinnaker set, but beginning a family required more time on dry land. When she and husband Richard, a former ship captain, came ashore in 1983 they started an organic farm in the mountains of southern Oregon. They were totally self-sufficient for energy, using solar power and electricity from a small hydro project on the property.

When the couple decided to seriously market their line of sauces, they moved back onto the grid in Phoenix, a few miles south of Medford. But they retain a strong sustainability ethos. "We buy as much locally as possible and as much organically grown produce as possible," she said. "We ask suppliers to fill out a questionnaire about their practices so we can promote more sustainability."

Taking part in the Blue Sky program was a natural for Rising Sun. "We recycle aggressively. We use soy ink on our packaging and shred our wastepaper so we can add it to our compost," she said.

"Rising Sun Farms is a wonderful example of how a business can take steps to reduce its own environmental footprint," said Paige Prewett, southern Oregon outreach consultant for the nonprofit Renewable Northwest Project. "Now when customers enjoy Rising Sun’s products, they can rest assured that clean wind power helped manufacture the delicious fare."

Oregon Pacific Power customers also can choose Blue Sky Usage, which allows customers to buy their equivalent energy usage from renewable resources, or Blue Sky Habitat, which allows customers to buy renewable energy and make a donation to The Nature Conservancy of Oregon to preserve native fish habitat.

Pacific Power’s Blue Sky Quantity Savings program allows large business customers to buy renewable energy for less, provided they purchase at least 101 blocks of Blue Sky per month. The price under this option can range from 71 cents to $1.94 per block depending on how many blocks are purchased.

Enrollment in Blue Sky is optional, and customers can change their participation or withdraw at any time. For more information or to sign up for Blue Sky, go to www.pacificpower.net/bluesky or call 800-769-3717.

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