By Julie Lawrence Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published Mar 28, 2008 at 11:29 AM

With the staggering price of gas (even diesel) and, of course, green being the most important hue on the color wheel these days, alternative fuels are gaining momentum.

Milwaukee's own Biodiesel Co-op, which emerged last year (you can read my interview with co-op board member Jason Haas here), has Milwaukee's only commercial-grade, ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) certified biodiesel pump at its headquarters at Future Green, a self-sustaining, organic living retail store at 2352 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.

In addition to being a biodiesel provider, the co-op wants to educate the public about biodiesel and renewable energy as well as encourage the use of biodiesel in the public and private sectors.

Interested in knowing more? Milwaukee Biodiesel Co-op invites "anyone and everyone who is even tangentially interested in the co-op, biodiesel, or renewable energy" to Bucketworks, 1340 N. 6th St., on Sunday, March 30 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. for a value gathering.

"This unique process infuses creativity and play into team building, strategizing, and engaging the value in our members," says Haas. "We will emerge from this with an exciting vision for the co-op!"

You do not have to be a member of the co-op to attend the meeting.

Julie Lawrence Special to OnMilwaukee.com

OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.

As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”