Oregon is well known for its environmentally conscious attitude, and with a new generation at the forefront of climate activism and sustainability, our local businesses are adapting to the demand for change. With the introduction of newly passed House Bill 4077, replacing and providing funding for Oregon’s environmental justice task force, this change may escalate in our future.

     Local business Urban Ag supply has been a beacon of sustainability in Albany for 5 years now, providing alternatives for one use items. This family-owned business is currently run by father and son duo Patrick and Nick Chonaiew.

      “We wanted (to sell) things a lot of places, like your normal hydroponics store or garden center didn’t necessarily carry, so we kind of came up with a hybrid model just to kind of see how it would work, and it seems to be doing well,” said Nick Chonaiew. 

     At the base of this business is the interest in basic healthy living, organic products, and knowing what you put in the ground so that you know what you’re eating. “The easiest way to describe it is, it was things we were looking for that we couldn’t find under one roof, so we figured if we were interested in this, others would be as well,” Patrick Chonaiew stated.

     Urban Ag Supply sells a variety of alternatives for things we use everyday like paper towels, reusable snack bags and other household items that are plastic free, and biodegradable.

     “We mainly focus on sustainable products that try not to harm the ecosystem and the way people do normal things in their daily lives without leaving that much of an impact,” Nick Chonaiew said.

     Albany as a whole has volunteer opportunities for environmental change specific to the area that can help make an environmental impact. Even if you can’t afford to go a sustainable route you can still help where possible. Some of the efforts made by the city to reduce, reuse, and recycle are Energy-efficient lighting installed at city facilities, Recycle paper, plastic, metals, oils, cardboard, and electronic equipment, reduce the use of paper by increasing electronic documents and information sharing and much more. Visit cityofalbany.net for more information on what you can do.

     Though the transition to even semi sustainable living is never easy,  small businesses like Urban Ag are cropping up all over town, here to make things a bit easier for you and a bit kinder to our planet.