Burlington Northern had a test using Safflower. I think it was grown in Montana.
I am told it doesn't like too much water. Also it may have soy's problem - a
high iodine number.
Kirk
http://www.etagriculture.com/nov_dec2002/avenues.html
Safflower seed oil: Around the world, safflower is mainly grown for its edible
oil, which can be used, for cooking and in preparation of mayonnaise, salad oil
and margarine. Safflower oil has the highest ratio of polyunsaturated/saturated
fatty acids of any oil available. It has been observed on administration to
patients with Hypercholesterolemia, the unsaturated fatty acids of safflower
lower the serum cholesterol level. This effect is variable and not discernible
in patients with normal or near normal cholesterol levels, nor does it occur
unless the total fatty acid intake is reduced. Though clinical value of
safflower oil is still considered to be incompletely proven, there is a
considerable health food market for safflower oil, especially in North America,
Germany and Japan.
Oil levels in the seed ranging from 10 to 50 per cent have been reported from
around the world for safflower. The commercialisation of safflower in the 1950s
was driven, in part, by the paint and varnish industry. The oils properties
contribute to unsurpassed quality in paints, alkyd resins and coatings.
However, less costly petroleum products and a shift to water-based paints have
limited their use.
Steve Hess [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Keith,
Thanks for the info. However, I am a poor farmer not a dumb one. I do have a
major variety of crops and corn is a rotation crop. There is not many
alternatives to rotation crops. When I count my time and fuel costs I may make
a few pennies on the corn but what I would like to do is at least save several
dollars instead by making my own fuel.
I looked over the list of oil producing seeds. The top 8 (some I never heard
of) I do not think can be grown in PA. I also have to look at the feasibility
of getting the seed out of the plant. I grow about 700 acres of pumpkins.
Pumpkin seeds have 2x the oil as corn. The only way I know of to get pumpkin
seeds out of a pumpkin is to carve it open and scoop the out. That is alot of
carving and scooping.
Does anyone know what is the best oil producing seed that can still be grown in
PA?
Also - Is corn the best product to use to make Ethanol?
Steve
-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Keith Addison
Sent: Fri 4/22/2005 11:17 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc:
Subject: [Biofuel] On-farm biodiesel or ethanol - was RE: home made fuelcell etc
Hello Steve
I am new to this site and have been following and trying to find some
info for a few weeks. I guess I will just ask.
Did you try these? At the end of every message:
Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
Biofuel archives at Infoarchive.net (searchable):
http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/
Plenty of information for you there.
I have a large farm and a large source of corn and soybeans from
farming.
Not exactly the best energy crops. There's starch and oil in corn
(maize) but a lot more of both in other crops. Soy isn't an
efficient source of oil unless you extract it with hexane, simple
pressing won't do much for you, and soy oil isn't the best feedstock
for biodiesel anyway (semi-drying oil).
On an integrated mixed farm you should be able to produce enough
energy to run the farm and more besides from an ever-changing
assortment of by-products, so it's more or less free. But if you're
growing corn and soy that you're losing money on you're not doing
integrated mixed farming anyway, and it's doubtful that you'd get
more biofuel out of it than the fossil-fuel inputs you're putting
into it.
I am very interested in knowing if there is an economical way
I can either make my own biodiesel or ethanol for my tractors and/or
trucks for my own use and possible sell excess.
Shouldn't be a problem, if you select better energy crops to grow.
There's a very large choice, much detail to be found in the list
archives and the Biofuels section of Journey to Forever, and in the
online Biofuels library.
Is this a process that would save me $$?
Definitely, if you did it right.
Corn and soy prices are very
low so I am losing money growing them.
Grow something else then.
Best wishes
Keith
Poor dirt farmer in PA,
Steve Hess
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