Winter Camelina Field Day to be held June 27 in Waseca

The University of Minnesota Forever Green Initiative and the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) invite processors, food entrepreneurs, culinary professionals, farmers, and the curious public to an open house event at the Southern Research and Outreach Center 35838 120th Street Waseca, MN. Throughout the event, scheduled for June 27, 2018, attendees will learn about winter camelina, an exciting new oilseed crop currently in the research and development phase, which has the potential to transform food, fuel and feed in Minnesota.

Winter camelina (Camelina sativa) has a long history as an oil seed crop with great potential for use as a cash cover crop to protect both soil and water while providing economic benefits to farmers in the Upper Midwest. A summary of breeding efforts, agronomics, and research on this crop can be found on the Forever Green website: Winter camelina.

University of Minnesota and USDA-ARS lead current camelina research efforts, which show it produces a high quality, edible oil with high levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid and vitamin E when pressed. Furthermore, the seed meal remaining after oil processing is useful as a nutritious FDA-approved livestock feed. The Forever Green Initiative at the University of Minnesota is working closely with corporate partners such as General Mills, Inc., to explore camelina for healthy food-use applications in their commercial products.

The Field Day event will highlight current research and work underway to launch camelina into Minnesota’s agricultural landscape. Visitors will see camelina growing in the field and learn from UMN agronomists about best production practices with this crop. In addition, an oil press, provided by AURI, will press camelina seed to show how the oil and meal is extracted.  The UMN Food Science department will also be on-hand to discuss the many potential opportunities for end-uses of camelina oil and meal.  

Visitors are welcome to stop in anytime between 9:30 AM and 12:30 PM on June 27th to explore and learn. Visitors who want a more in-depth understanding of camelina can participate in a guided tour. The first tour will begin at 10 AM with the second starting at 11:30 AM. A meal will be served from 12:30 - 1:30 PM and will feature a menu item that includes camelina oil. The event will be held rain or shine.

All attendees are requested to register by June 20 for the event and tours in order to plan for meals and parking. Register by calling Nan Larson at (218) 281-7600 ext. 137 or by clicking this link: https://goo.gl/5hAX5N

For more information contact Connie Carlson at 612-709-6790 or e-mail her at carl5114@umn.edu. Inquiries can also be sent to: the Southern Research and Outreach Center 35838 120th Street, Waseca, MN 56093.

This event is made possible by generous support from the USDA: AFRI, NRCS, CIG, NIFA and NCR - SARE. 

ABOUT FOREVER GREEN: The Forever Green Initiative focuses on high-efficiency agriculture, cropping systems with continuous living cover, and perennial crops. Forever Green is a collaborative effort of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS), Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management (CINRAM), and the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA); with major funding support from the Minnesota Legislature, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and USDA-NIFA.

ABOUT AURI: The mission of the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute is to foster long-term economic benefit for Minnesota through value-added agricultural products. It accomplishes this by helping develop new uses for agricultural products through science and technology, while partnering with businesses and entrepreneurs to bring ideas to reality.