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Published byTyrone Simmons Modified over 9 years ago
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On-Farm Oil Seed / Biodiesel Project State Line Farm, Shaftsbury, VT
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A lot of farms and farmers in the Northeast are looking for new, ‘non-commodity’ enterprises. A lot of farms are also looking for sources of renewable energy
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Our goal Farms working together to make their own fuel, using their own raw materials, with sustainable practices.
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Making biodiesel from waste vegetable oil in the old dairy barn
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The first crop of oil seed crops, but no way to extract the oil for fuel.
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In 2005 an oil seed press was purchased.
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Other farmers helped buy the press, and grew test plots of sunflower, canola, other oil seed crops.
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May 4, 2006 preparing to plant
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Brillion seed drill used to sow canola
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Canola in flower on July 1
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Canola seed pods on August 1
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Canola seed nearly dry on August 18
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Sunflowers on July 1
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Sunflowers on August 1
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Sunflowers on October 2
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The crop looks good now, but deer and bird damage, or diseases can be a problem.
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2007 sunflower variety trial at State Line Farm; yields ranged from 1,247 to 2,396 lb/acre
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Get the 1960’s combine ready
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In northern VT canola trials with 24 varieties had an average yield of 1,800 lb/acre
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First set up for pressing the seed for oil and meal
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a temporary settling tank
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Seed meal = livestock feed, worth about $200+ per ton, roughly twice that if organic
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Chinese oil press recently arrived at Rainville Farm in VT
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Sweet sorghum (for ethanol) August 1
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old Sweet sorghum press
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Extracting sweet sorghum juice
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This still makes ethanol from fermented ‘sugar crop’ juices
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Scaling the project up in 2006…with funding from VT Sustainable Jobs Fund
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John and Steve designed and built the building
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Vermont’s first on-farm oil seed processing facility
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Putting the system together – many used parts!
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seed meal seed oil press oil tank reaction vessel methanol condensor glycerin drain farmer fuel drain
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“Farm fresh” biodiesel – but not ASTM tested (that’s another story)
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Future work Oil and alcohol crop production trials Economic analysis Comparing processing equipment Market development, co-operative formation? Regulatory issues
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Project reports at: www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry click ‘Energy on the Farm’
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