To call Montana’s Governor Schweitzer a supporter of camelina production is an understatement. He calls it a “renaissance crop,” a “miracle crop,” and “the crop of the future in Montana.”
Running his hands through a bin of seeds, Schweitzer said he was excited about camelina because there is so much left to learn about its cultivation and uses.
“This is where we were in Montana in 1900 with wheat.”
Camelina flourished in Europe about 3,500 years ago and is on the way to becoming a major source of biodiesel on millions of acres of marginal farmland from eastern Washington state to North Dakota [previous post]. Camelina can grow in arid conditions and can produce more oil from its seeds for a lower price.