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Agriculture Forum: Canola comes to Mich.
As you drive around northwest Michigan this summer, don't be surprised if you see an increasing number of fields boasting yellow flowering plants. The fields are evidence of a growing interest in canola in this region and throughout Michigan.
Canola oil is a familiar product to Michiganders, with its touted "healthy oil" properties, and demand for the oil continues to grow in the U.S. In fact, the U.S. consumption of canola oil outpaces U.S. production by 3-to1 (Canola Grower, Feb. 2003). Currently most of this consumption demand is met through imports from Canada. Canola oil is high in Omega-3 fatty acids and low in saturated fats. With just 7 percent saturated fat, canola has the lowest level of all major oil crops.
The modern day canola plant was developed from a variety of rape seed and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1985 for sale in the U.S. It was developed in Canada, with the canola name being introduced as part of their marketing efforts. It is low in euricic acid and glucosinolates, compared to traditional rape seed oil.
Some farmers in northwest Michigan will remember trying canola in the early '90s with varying degrees of success. So why try it again now? There have been three fundamental changes in the picture for canola in the last couple of years. The first of these is the increased cost of energy and the subsequent interest in biodiesel fuel. Canola is capable of not only being used for food-grade oil, but also for the production of biodiesel. This creates more pull on the demand side for canola oil.
The second change is the beginning of crushing capacity in northwest Michigan. Groups in Leelanau and Kalkaska have been working on developing crushing facilities to squeeze the oil from the canola seed, and also the capacity to convert this into biodiesel. When canola was grown in the '90s, growers had one outlet -- truck the canola to Canada. These new facilities could eventually support thousands of acres of canola in our area (still just a small percentage of what we import from Canada).
Finally, new varieties of canola are now available for production in our area. Specifically, we now have hybrid spring canola that we can grow. Prior to hybrids, spring canola had significantly lower yields than fall-planted canola. Now hybrid spring canola has bridged that yield gap. Spring canola also does not suffer from some of the downsides of fall planted canola, such as winter kill and late fall/early spring deer damage. Michigan State University Extension is currently researching these new varieties to help producers understand which will be the best suited for our area, and with will have the highest profit potential. One of these research plots is in Antrim County, and contains more than 30 new hybrid varieties.
So enjoy those new yellow fields, and imagine, they may just help fuel your vehicle in the near future.
Stan Moore is the Michigan State University Extension county extension director for Antrim County and the agricultural educator for Antrim and Kalkaska counties.
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