09/12/08 Federal grant will promote oilseeds and small scale biodiesel production

Washington Ag September 12, 2008 Community-Minded Enterprises of Spokane has been awarded a 98-thousand dollar Rural Business Enterprise Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The organization's Dan Baumgarten says the grant will promote the use of the oilseeds mustard and camelina on marginal farmland for biodiesel production, where they will not compete with food crops, in Spokane, Lincoln and the three northeastern Washington counties. Baumgarten: "A lot of it is education. We are going to be promoting the development of the new generation coop where growers who are getting interested in this can work together rather than having to feel isolated. There are advantages to that." Baumgarten says the grant will also be used to reach local governments like county commissions or city councils and private businesses to promote small scale biodiesel production, which is much less expensive to get started. Baumgarten: "So that small businesses or municipalities that run diesel fleets or whatever, could be thinking about getting involved in processing biodiesel rather than waiting for a large scale industry to develop." A key partner for Community-Minded Enterprises is Advanced Crop Technologies of Deer Park, which has a seed crusher that can be the hub for the network of farmers in the project. I'm Bob Hoff.