SNOHOMISH – Snohomish County farmers will soon start planting crops of mustard and canola as part of a county-sponsored pilot project to generate biodiesel and profit.
“Anything that we can do toward energy independence is good,” Dale Reiner, president of Sno/Sky Agricultural Alliance, said Monday.
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel made from a variety of vegetable oils and usually blended with petroleum diesel. It is sold at some gas stations.
The group of local farmers and the county will plant the mustard and canola seed on May 18 at Custer’s Last Stand farm in Snohomish. The crop should be ready for harvest in 65 days.
Then, the plan is to crush the crop into oil and determine how much oil can be harvested per acre.
Biodiesel is finding a niche market in Snohomish County.
In February, Snohomish Cenex, a gas station in Snohomish, began the first commercial biodiesel operation in Snohomish County. One distributor experimented with the fuel in Mukilteo in 2005.
Custer’s Last Stand is one of five farms – four in Snohomish County and one in King County – participating in the biodiesel pilot project. Snohomish County is spending $15,600 for the project. Washington State University also is contributing, Reiner said.
The goal is to find out by mid-2007 whether local farmers can make ends meet growing seed crops that can be used to make biodiesel.
“If we can generate biofuel here in Snohomish County rather then being shipped from somewhere else, that’s another boon to our economy,” Reiner said.
Each year, Snohomish County uses thousands of gallons of petroleum diesel, said Donna Ambrose, a spokeswoman for County Executive Aaron Reardon. The project could help the county become more energy independent, she said.
“We are excited about getting involved in this project,” she said.
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
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