Todd harvest runs gamut from corn to grapes to camelina

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Sunflower field north of Long Prairie. Ayer's new vineyard, north of Rose City.

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Harvest time is upon us. Though we often talk about bringing new jobs to the area, taking a drive through rural Minnesota quickly shows that farming is still a very active enterprise. While corn, beans, oats, wheat and potatoes still dominate the patchwork of fields, alternative crops like sunflowers, poplar trees, vineyards, and camelina dot the landscape.

Sunflowers are perhaps the oldest of the alternative crops. The seeds that develop in the heads are food for us as well as the birds. Sunflower oil extracted from the seeds is used as cooking oil, is an ingredient in margarine and is one source for biodiesel.

Poplar tree plantations have become familiar sites and scenes over the last decade or so. Harvested and re-planted, the trees provide pulp and a potential source for biofuels. Researchers continue to look for a way to increase the rate of growth to boost the tree crop's productivity.

Vineyards are relatively new to the Todd County area. Ron Schmid planted a vineyard near Clotho. Within three years he found his crop faltering and opted to transplant them to the southeastern Minnesota/Wisconsin border. Two other vineyards have recently been planted in the area. It remains to be seen whether this county's climate will produce quality wine grapes.

Few of us would recognize a field of camelina if we saw one. Gary Kniesel is raising 30 acres of it along with corn, beans and sunflowers on his 550-acre farm in Stowe Prairie Township. He says there are four or five farmers growing it in the Staples area. A member of the mustard family and a distant relative of canola, camelina is used in diesel engines and is also used in jet fuels, according to Kniesel. "It grows in poor soil, doesn't need a lot of water and produces 30 bushels to the acres," said Kniesel. Those 30 bushels yield 75 to 80 gallons of oil. Kniesel anticipates that the Central Lakes College will buy it for their experiments in biodiesel. The waste products, after the oil has been removed, can be fed to cattle.

Exploring alternative crops, looking for ways to diversify the local economy, and being open to change will help in building a sustainable future...and support us in the autumn of our lives.

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