Sunflower varieties fall into two major categories: oilseed and confectionery. Oilseed sunflower is the most popular biodiesel feedstock grown in Vermont. This crop is grown in rotation with other grains and grasses, is very attractive in the Vermont landscape, and yields high quantities of oil. The seeds are pressed to extract the oil, which can be used for food or further refined into biodiesel for use as fuel, and the leftover seed meal can be used for animal feed or land treatment. There are at least 16 farms growing oilseeds for biodiesel in Vermont. Expansion of this effort depends on improving yields with on-going agronomic support, increasing the availability of combines and other agricultural equipment and developing performance specifications for pressing and biodiesel refining equipment. The profiles, publications, and links to the right and image gallery below provide more information on the work being done in Vermont and nationally to expand the use of sunflowers for biodiesel production.
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.
