Oilseeds--including sunflower, canola, soybean, flax, and hemp--are crops that may provide avenues for diversification on our Vermont farms. Oil extracted from these crops may be used for on-farm fuel production or culinary uses; the leftover meal may be used as a high protein livestock feed or soil amendment to boost fertility. The goal of our program is to develop best practices for oilseed production under our growing conditions.
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Oilseed Production in the Northeast
Research and agronomic advice for sunflower and canola growers is provided in the “
Oilseed Production in the Northeast (PDF), designed to provide basic information on planting, production, pest management, harvesting, and processing seed. Because oilseed crops are relatively new to the Northeast, making use of regional research is key to establishing a good crop.
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Factsheets, Bulletins & Guides
- Oilseed Fact Sheet: Oilseed Presses (pdf)
- Oilseed Fact Sheet: Oil Filtration (pdf)
- Oilseed Fact Sheet: Overview of Small-Scale Oilseed Processing (pdf)
- Oilseed Fact Sheet: Processing Edible Oils (pdf)
- Oilseed Fact Sheet: Processing Regulations (pdf)
- Oilseed Fact Sheet: The Regional Picture (pdf)
- Oilseed Fact Sheet: Storage and Cleaning (pdf)
- Small-Scale Processing of Locally Produced Edible Oils (pdf)
- Small-Scale Oilseed Presses: An Evaluation of Six Commercially-Available Designs (pdf)
- Small-Scale Oilseed Processing Guide (pdf)
- Sunflower Insects: Scouting and Identification (pdf)
Event Proceedings and Materials
2014 Oilseed Producers Workshop
- Chris Callahan’s presentation on economic viability of oilseed crops (pdf)
- Hannah Harwood and Chris Callahan’s final results of the small-scale press evaluations (pdf)
- Small-scale press evaluation report (pdf)
- Small-scale press design video (YouTube)
- Heather Darby’s presentation on 2013 research updates and uses for oilseed meal (pdf)
- Ryan Elias’s presentation on culinary oil quality (pdf)
The Vermont BioEnergy Initiative, a program of the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, has additional resources on oil crops for on-farm biodiesel and feed, including the following:
Oilseed Cost and Profit Calculator (A downloadable modeling tool)