19 Sep 2013
Borderview Research Farm
Feedstock: Sunflowers, canola, switchgrass
Fuel: Biodiesel and grass pellets
Energy Output: Power (for farm machinery) and heat
Services: Oilseed and Grain Grower, Oil milling, Biomass Pelletizing, Fuel Processing, Feed Supply
Owner: Roger and Claire Rainville
Location: Alburgh, Vermont; Grand Isle County
Having sold his dairy herd several years ago and thinking he was heading into semi-retirement, Roger Rainville began experimenting with farm-scale biodiesel production on his family farm in northern Vermont, which literally hugs the Canadian border.
The University of Vermont (UVM) now leases a number of acres from the Rainvilles as Borderview Farm has become one of the best-known applied research facilities in Vermont. Roger, along with Dr. Heather Darby, a UVM Extension agronomist, and her team have helped transform the former dairy farm, conducting leading research in the Northeast on oilseed crops, perennial grasses, hops, small grains and other crops suitable for small-scale and value-added farming.
