Oilseeds for Fuel, Feed and the Future

About This Project

The Oilseeds for the Future Project aims to reduce risks and create new opportunities for Montana farmers who want to participate in, and benefit from, an emerging bio-based economy. This project combines educational opportunities (workshops, farm tours) with incentive grants and farmer feedback to advance knowledge and action.

The Oilseeds for Fuel, Feed and the Future Project offers workshops, farm tours and small grants to Montana farmers who want to learn more about:

• Oilseed crops that can be used for a range of products (such as lubricants, culinary oils or biodiesel)
• On-farm production and/or personal use of biodiesel and its co-products
• Markets and buyers' expectations for oilseed crops

The Oilseeds for the Future project is funded by the NRCS's Conservation Innovation Grants program, Stranie Ventures and the Bullitt Foundation, with additional support of the EPA, USDA Risk Management Agency and the important contributions of the Project partners.

Project partners are the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), The University of Idaho, The National Biodiesel Education Program, Montana State University Extension Service, The Northern Ag Network, Montana Farmers Union, Montana Grain Growers Association, Montana Department of Agriculture, Alternative Energy Resources Organization, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality Energy and Pollution Prevention Bureau.

Oilseed and Biodiesel Production Workshop
Day 1—January 28, 2009
MSU-Billings College of Technology

Unless otherwise indicated, all speakers are confirmed.

Day 2- January 29, 2009
MSU-Billings College of Technology

For Immediate Release: October 27, 2008

Contact: Al Kurki
National Center for Appropriate Technology
P.O. Box 3838
Butte, MT 59702
(406) 449-0104
800-275-6228
alk@ncat.org

Advanced Oilseed and Biodiesel Production Workshop to be Held
January 28-29, 2009 in Billings

Farmers, businesspeople, and scientists will present the most current information about processing oilseed crops and on-farm biodiesel production at the upcoming Oilseeds for Fuel, Feed and the Future workshop in Billings on January 28-29, 2009. This workshop builds upon a highly successful conference held last January and will cover more complex oilseed crushing and vegetable oil-based biofuel production and use issues.

People who attend this workshop will learn more about:

• Markets for oilseeds and oil as well as buyer expectations
• Status on the development and regulation of oilseed co-products, animal feeds and bio-lubes
• Technical advancements and changes in community/commercial biodiesel production
• Economics of oilseed crushing and biodiesel production
• Educational, technical and financial resources for building a bioproducts/bioenergy business.

The workshop is a joint effort of the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Montana Agro-Energy Initiative, USDA Risk Management Agency and other co-sponsors. The workshop will take place January 28-29th starting at 8:00 am at the MSU-Billings College of Technology Campus. On-site registration will begin at 7:30 a.m.   The cost for the workshop is $25 for participants who pre-register and $35 for registration the day of the conference. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. The deadline to pre-register is January 22, 2009. For more information on, or to register for, this event, contact NCAT at 800-275-6228 or e-mail tammyh@ncat.org.

The book Building a Successful Biodiesel Business: Technology Considerations, Developing the Business, Analytical Methodologies will be available for purchase at the conference for a discounted price of $35. Pre-orders are requested at the time of workshop registration.

This Advanced Oilseed and Biodiesel workshop is preceded by the ninth annual Harvesting Clean Energy conference that will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Billings on January 25 to 27. Sessions will focus on the steps to successfully cut energy costs and produce power on the farm, and to raise feedstocks such as oilseeds for market. For more details and to register for this conference, go to www.harvestcleanenergy.org or call Pat Gibbon at 206-443-9570 x34.

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Innovation Grants to Montana Farmers Spur New Knowledge in Oilseeds and Biodiesel Production

In early 2007, NCAT made Innovation grant awards to seven Montana farmers and ranchers to test out oilseed production and processing, animal feeding or making and using biodiesel. Reports from five of the seven grantees are available here. Each report outlines what they did and learned on their farms in the 2007 growing season.

The reports offer advice cautionary tales and promise for those who are interested in advancing oilseed and vegetable oil-based biofuels and other bioproducts in Montana. NCAT will update and add to these reports as new information becomes available from the grantees.

Innovation Grants were awarded for:

• Building local oilseed crushing capacity so farmers can test feeding camelina pressings to dairy cattle. (Chris Fritz, Flathead Biodiesel, Polson) Click here to read report
• Conducting comparative performance tests of straight vegetable oil and B20 in Kubota tractors. (Josh Slotnick, Missoula) Click here to read report
• Testing sunflower and camelina production, and performance testing straight vegetable oil and biodiesel in large farm equipment. (Chuck Merja, Sun River) Click here to read report
• Testing juncea (a member of the mustard family) production on dryland and irrigated farms in northeastern Montana. This project involves six farms. (Marc Cartwright, Miles City) Click here to read report
• Integrated camelina crop production, feeding camelina pressings to beef cattle, and on-farm oilseed crushing and biodiesel production tests. (Ken DeBoer, Ryegate) Click here to read report
• Adding biodiesel processing capacity for use in a stationary irrigation pump engine that has been retrofitted to burn straight vegetable oil. (Zach Wirth, Wolf Creek)
• Testing nitrogen side band applications in canola production, and feeding canola pressings to beef cattle in both ranch and feedlot settings. (Kent Wasson, Whitewater)

The Innovations Grants are part of the Oilseeds for Fuel Feed and the Future Project, a collaborative effort that aims to reduce risk and create new opportunities for Montana farmers who want to participate in, and benefit from, an emerging bio-based economy. The project combines educational opportunities with on-farm research and demonstration efforts to advance knowledge and action.

The Project partners include the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), Montana Farmers Union, Montana Grain Growers Association, Montana Department of Agriculture, Alternative Energy Resources Organization, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Department of Environmental Quality's Air and Energy Bureau.

The purpose of the grants program is to increase knowledge in three areas:

• Oilseed crops that can be used for a range of products (such as lubricants, culinary oils or biodiesel)
• On-farm production and/or personal use of biodiesel and its co-products, such as oilseed pressings for livestock feed
• Oilseed markets and buyers' expectations for oilseed crops

Funding for this project comes from the NRCS Conservation Innovations Grant program, Stranie Ventures and the Bullitt Foundation, along with other cash and in-kind support from the project partners.

NCAT is a non-profit organization with headquarters in Butte, Montana. For more information about the Innovation grants, the Oilseeds for the Future Project or NCAT, contact Al Kurki at 406-449-0104 or alk@ncat.org.

The Update aims to provide the most current information on key aspects of oilseed rotations and production, oilseed crushing and uses of oil (such as biodiesel) and oilseed cake.

Oilseeds Update 2008 [PDF / 1.85M] This issue focuses on oilseed crushers and biodiesel processors.
Oilseeds Update 2008 Fall Edition [PDF / 633K] This issue focuses on on some Montana market outlets for oilseeds.