Green Options

More than one quarter of kindergartners in one school district and about two-thirds of students at two schools in Ashland, Oregon are not vaccinated.

Like many states, Oregonians can opt out of school required vaccinations by claiming religious exemption.  Statewide, 3.7 percent of kindergartners were exempt in 2007; however in Ashland, 28.1 percent of kindergartners were not vaccinated making it the least vaccinated city in the US.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) wants to know why.

If there’s one thing Oregon’s good at, it’s home-grown solutions. From blackberries, to grass seed, to Christmas trees, to hazelnuts, Oregon controls the American market on some major niche agricultural products (PDF). And with Oregon’s new push into the future of alternative energy and transportation, it only makes sense that Oregon agriculture will follow suit.

Enter Barefoot Motors and its all-electric heavy duty ATV targeted at farmers. Based in southern Oregon’s picturesque community of Ashland (which has recently garnered attention as the least immunized city in the nation), Barefoot Motors seeks to take advantage of the winds of change by providing farmers with the ability go green and still get their work done with a minimum of hassle — all with an eye towards saving money.