Originally Posted by Wheaties
Hey FabMan! Our canola is north of Connell on two circles, so around 300+ acres of irrigated. We're trying out 3 Roundup ready varieties. It looks great going into winter. The drylanders up here have varied success with yields depending on conditions. Without perfect fall planting conditions it can be risky on dryland. We've grown it a few times in the past under irrigation and had pretty good success. This will be our first time with Roundup ready varieties.
If it were up to me, I'd be crushing and making our own BD, but it's not up to me...
Anyway, basically we'll leave the processing to others and buy it back.
I don't personally know all the active biodiesel pioneers in the northwest, but have heard of Sequential in Oregon. I'm sure I read an article about Kent this past summer in either the Capital Press or other farming publication. Sure sounds like the right thing to do to me. Seattle Biodiesel, and others, has been over here on the east side actively pursuing growers and communities for BD development. I say, "BRING IT ON!!" There's a plant going in at Warden for sure and many other's rumored.
Keep me updated on your canola trials as they get into next spring. Are they dryland or irrigated? I'll let you know how ours do, too.
Wheat
I'm really surprised you went with "Roundup ready" canola, with all the problems the Canadians have had with it. You need to talk with Ted Durfey in Sunnyside. I'm working with him on building his plant. He's already built the crushing plant, and has found some very interesting info in his field trials. He found that his yield INCREASED by 2,000 lbs/acre by not irrigating in the spring at all. He pre-irrigates in the fall, then nothing more in the spring. It seems that the canola plant is stressed by not watering in the spring, and that "stressing" makes it produce more seeds! This is further confirmed from the University of Idaho's field trials. His plan is to not use his water allotment in the spring, but pre-irrigate after canola harvest, then plant corn for another money crop after the canola.
We should talk.............If you use less than 30,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year you should be able to make your own fuel for about $.50 per gallon!
If your like us, you can make your own processer out of the "treasures" in your own "bone-yard" and be off-grid as far as fuel goes...................
FABMANDELUX.
