Oil & Meal Extraction
Oil & Meal Extraction
A brief but detailed look at cleaning and pressing oilseed crops
Making On-Farm Biodiesel
Oilseeds are expeller pressed using commercially-available equipment that is rated on a ton-per-hour basis. Oil and meal are extracted from the cleaned seeds under pressure. The oil runs off of the press into settling tanks before it is made into biodiesel, or it can be filtered or further refined for food-grade oil. The meal is used as animal feed or a fertilizer treatment.
Through a process called transesterification, the oil is converted to methyl esters with the addition of an alcohol and catalyst, producing biodiesel and glycerol. Final steps remove the glycerol, leaving biodiesel that’s ready for use as a tractor fuel or for heating buildings.
The profiles, publications, and links to the right and image gallery below provide more information on extracting oil from oilseeds and making biodiesel.
On the forefront of oilseed crop growing in a northeastern climate, State Line Biofuels is Vermont’s first on-farm facility making biodiesel made from oilseed crops grown on-site and from neighboring farms.
The Williamson family has owned State Line Farm in southwest Vermont alongside the border of New York since 1936. For many years, State Line was run as a traditional dairy farm, but falling milk prices caused them to sell the herd and look towards diversifying the farm's operations.
John and his family currently produce maple syrup, honey, sorghum syrup and hay for sale in local markets. Since 2004, State Line Farm has also experimented with sunflower, canola, mustard, and flax varieties in an effort to fuel their farm with biodiesel.
Larry Scott and Peggy Hewes operate Ekolott Farm—a diversified farm raising emus, Herefords, and hogs, and growing crops such as shell corn, sunflowers, and soybeans on 200 acres of Connecticut River valley land. Ekolott produces a portion of their own fuel, all of their own heat and an increasing amount of the feed ingredients they feed their animals, including grains and sunflower seed meal.
The farm has a double-press Täby Model 70 similar to the one at State Line Farm (0.5-ton per 24-hour day). At the moment, they do not have a biodiesel processor at the farm, but contract with a neighbor who owns a BioPro190.
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.
Oilseed Processing
University of Vermont Fact Sheets: Oilseed Presses, Oilseed Cleaning and Storage, and Oil Filtering
University of Vermont, Press Evaluations (Performance Comparison of Six Commercial Presses)
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, Oilseed Processing Flowchart.
University of Vermont Poster Presentation, Small Scale Processing of Locally Produced Edible Oils
Al Kurki et al, Oilseed Processing For Small-Scale Producers. 2008.
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, Oilseed Processing Flowchart. 2008.
Gary Brester et al, Growing a Career on a Small Family Farm: Supplying Biodiesel Producers in Montana’s Flathead Valley.November 2008.
Making Biodiesel
Penn State Extension, Using Biodiesel Fuel in Your Engine. 2013.
National Renewable Energy Lab, Biodiesel Handling and Use Guidebook.January 2009.
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Biodiesel Safety and Best Management Practices for Small-Scale Noncommercial Use and Production. 2008.
National Renewable Energy Lab, Biodiesel Production Technology. July 2004.
Waste Management and Research Center,Feasibility Report Small Scale Biodiesel Production.
Economics
Chris Callahan, Oilseed Cost and Profit Calculator. (A downloadable modeling tool)
Chris Callahan and Netaka White, Vermont On-Farm Oilseed Enterprises: Production Capacity and Break-even Economics. July 2013.
Emily Stebbins, The Market Potential of Farm-Scale Oilseed Crop Products in Vermont. February 2008. (See also the Executive Summary)
Seed and Meal Analysis
Gary Cromwell, Soybean Meal: The Gold Standard.November 1999.
Meal Data for Conservation and Innovation Grant | Report to Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, 2006
Oilseed Meal Analysis – nutritional | University of Vermont Ag testing Lab
Oilseed Meal Results – NPK | Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Sunflower Meal Analysis (from cleaned seed) | Dairy One Lab / Using Kern Kraft Oil Press
Sunflower Meal Analysis (from un-cleaned seed) | Dairy One Lab / Using Kern Kraft Oil Press
Sunflower Seed Analysis | Rock River Lab
Sunflower Meal Analysis | Rock River Lab / Using Kern Kraft Oil Press
Sunflower Seed Analysis | Prior To Milling In Kern Kraft Oil Press
Sunflower Seed Analysis | Using Kern Kraft Oil Press
General Information
Biofuel Factsheets, Projects and Resources, Penn State
Biodiesel (Wikipedia)
Biofuel Basics, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Presses and Equipment
Small-scale Oilseed Presses (Video), University of Vermont
Oilseed Equipment Suppliers
Kern Kraft Oil Press (Germany), Circle Energy
Taby Oil Press (Sweden)
Oil Press (formerly AgOil Press, United States)
Komet Oil Press (Germany)
Gemco Oil Press (China)
Oil Presses, Turner Biodiesel
Oil Presses, National Center for Appropriate Technology
Conferences and Events
Oilseed Producers Workshop Proceedings, University of Vermont
Solar Drying
Solar collector for warming grain dryer, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Chris Callahan
Solar Drying & Storage
Solar collector and grain drying & storage bin, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Chris Callahan
Solar-heated Storage
Detail showing hook-up of hot water (from solar collector), to heat transfer (old truck radiator and blower), State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Chris Callahan
Seed Cleaner
Clipper seed cleaner, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2012. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
At the Cleaner
John Williamson, clipper seed cleaner, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Feeding the Oilpress
Detail showing auger carrying sunflowers from bin to basin and into auger that feeds oilpress, Ekolott Farm, Newbury Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Oilpress
Taby oil press, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Oil Settling System
Two-drum oil settling system from Taby oil press, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Sunflower Oil
Sunflower oil from Taby press, flowing to first settling barrel, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Sunflower Meal
Catching meal from Taby oil press, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Chris Callahan
Sunflower Meal
Sunflower meal, Taby oil press, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2009. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Soybean Meal
Soybean meal, Taby oil press, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2012. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Soybean Meal
Soybean meal, Taby oil press, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2012. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Borderview Farm Cow
Meal customer, Borderview Farm, Alburgh, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Anyang Oilpress
Anyang oilpress, Borderview Farm, Alburgh, Vermont, 2010. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Anyang Oilpress
Anyang oil press, Shoreham, Vermont, 2008. Photo credit: Netaka White
Mobile Anyang Oilpress
Anyang oil press, trailer mounted, Shoreham, Vermont, 2008. Photo credit: Netaka White
Anyang Double Press
Mark and Bill Mordasky with an Anyang double press, Shoreham, Vermont, 2010. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Kern Kraft Oilpress
Kern Kraft, model KK40, Borderview Farm, Alburgh, Vermont, 2012. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
State Line Biofuels
John Williamson inside his State Line Biofuels “Biobarn”, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Titration
John Williamson doing biodiesel titration, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2012. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Transferring Methanol
John Williamson transferring methanol during biodiesel production, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2012. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Biofuels Barn
The “Biobarn” at State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
State Line Biofuels
On-farm biodiesel processing system, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Biofuel Barn
Inside the Biofuel Barn at State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, VT.
Making Biodiesel
Making biodiesel at State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Biodiesel Towers
Dry wash columns and B100 biodiesel storage, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Tractor Fuel
B100, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Biofuel Pickup
Local heating oil company picking up a load of B100, State Line Biofuels, Shaftsbury, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Biofuel Production
Mark Mordasky, Rainbow Valley Farm biodiesel processing system, Orwell, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Chris Callahan
Biofuel Producers
Bill and Mark Mordasky and their first 1000 liter batch of biodiesel, Rainbow Valley Farm, Orwell, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Chris Callahan
Biofuel Producer
Roger Rainville with new BioPro 190, Borderview Farm, Alburgh, Vermont, 2010. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Grain Bin and Biobarn
Borderview Farm “Biobarn”, Alburgh, Vermont, 2010. Photo credit: Chris Callahan
Fuel Quality
Fuel quality testing using the pHlip test, Borderview Farm, Alburgh, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Chris Callahan
Biodiesel Class
On-farm biodiesel class, Borderview Farm, Alburgh, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
Seeds, Oils, and Biodiesel
Seeds, oils, and biodiesel, Borderview Farm, Alburgh, Vermont, 2011. Photo credit: Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
