| Hazelnut Not a Nutty Option for Biodiesel |
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| Written by Erika Fredrickson | |
| Thursday, 17 April 2008 | |
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Soybean farmers may have an upperhand in biodiesel now, but hazelnut farmers might have the more sustainable edge. Currently, 99% of US commercial hazelnuts come from Oregon, but farmers in Minnesota and Wisconsin are looking to get in on the action. Not that Oregonians should be wary; the Midwestern hazels are actually smaller and tougher, not so suitable for human nibbling, but perfect for animal feed and conversion to biodiesel. Consider this: soy is composed of 20% oil and canola is 40%. But hazelnuts are a whopping 60% oil. Hazelnut biodiesel involves a one-step crushing and chemical process with a $16,000 German machine. Biodiesel makers say the machine is still a work-in-progress, but it's getting there. With so much oil in each hazelnut, it apparently would take very little for a nut farmer to grow his own operating fuel, and make a profit off the rest. Farmers also say that they can produce a ton and a half of hazelnuts per acre, and that as perennial crops with hardy root systems, hazelnuts are environmentally-friendly, drought-resistant, and protect the soil from erosion. Sound like a miracle? Well, it sounds promising, at least. We'll have to see if farmers who take the hazelnut path are able to maintain sustainable practices as operations expand. Sources: Capital Press, Biodiesel Now |
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