We attended the Dane County Fair this past weekend. It was as many county fairs go – fair food (cream puffs and cheese curds were our faves), fair rides, and lots of farm animals to pet and admire.

There were also many exhibits to see, and one in particular was a great addition to this county fair. The Hybridfest Green Drive Expo made its way to town and it was a great demo of many hybrid and alternative fueled vehicles (AFVs) around.

While viewing and learning about the vehicles was very interesting and exciting, I was more interested by some of the sponsors of the event. Here’s a brief synopsis of those I was most excited about:

• Carbonday – All about reducing our carbon footprint on the planet, Carbonday offers ways each of us can be more friendly to our environment. Visit their site to get everyday ways you can help reduce your footprint.
• Ecomodder – Focusing on fuel economy rather than power, Ecomodder gives great tips and information about devices that can help all of us save gas.  It’s a great site for auto enthusiasts.
• CleanMPG - Much like Ecomodder, CleanMPG shows us how we can be more efficient drivers and squeeze more out of our current car’s EPA rating. I learned about “hypermiling” here.
• Wisconsin Clean Cities – Wisconsin Clean Cities works hard to educate the public and fleet managers about AFVs and alternative fuels. They’re doing great work!

These are the smaller, perhaps less known organizations at the event, but major players like Ford and Toyota also were sponsors and showing off their AFVs to the crowds.

I was happy to see PrairieFire Biofuels at the expo. PrairieFire Biofuels is a member-owned co-operative supporting vegetable oil based fuel sources. Check out their site for important information on the topic and what you can do to convert your engine to biodiesel.

I learned that AFVs are pretty comparable to conventionally-fueled vehicles in price and save way more money in the long run on fuel. And of course, AFVs go a long way in making for a cleaner, healthier environment.