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Renewable Energy
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A SARE-funded study tested
the viability of biodiesel produced from canola oil. Photo by
Peter Sexton. |
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Farmers growing grains and oilseeds may find new markets if interest
in bio-based fuels continues to grow. Ethanol and biodiesel processing
plants are increasingly common in the Midwest, while smaller-scale
projects are being tested in the Northeast and other areas.
A SARE-supported project in Maine and Vermont found that farmers
could grow and crush canola for $293 per ton, yielding 1,180 pounds
of meal and 92 gallons of oil. Including the income from sale of
the meal, the break-even price of the biodiesel processed from the
canola oil came out at $3.09/gallon -- a competitive price for a
renewable fuel.
“Farmers are interested in producing a crop whose value is
tied to the price of fuel,” says project leader Peter Sexton.
“There’s also a great deal of personal satisfaction
to be gained from producing your own fuel.”
While it’s hard to say exactly how the renewable fuels market
will develop in coming years, with processing technologies improving
and demand on the rise, fuel-crop production offers an array of
opportunities for creating value-added products.
Installing photovoltaic panels or wind turbines, can reduce energy
expenses over the long term and provide additional interest for
farm visitors. See www.sare.org/coreinfo/energy.htm
for more information about farm-based renewable energy.
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