Putting canola through the mill

Oct 10, 2023

Farmer Jeff Cloud grew canola on an experimental basis this year. It uses less water but earns the same income as wheat.

Last fall, farmers Jeff Cloud and John Lock challenged the status quo and asked for permission to plant canola in Jefferson County.

Since as early as 2010, the Oregon Department of Agriculture set up a Central Oregon Protective District outlawing canola in Jefferson County. Seed growers, particularly carrot seed growers, worried cross pollination could contaminate their seed crops.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

Haystack Farm and Feeds presses the oil from canola seeds and uses the oil and the remaining mill as ingredients in the animal feeds they make.

Cloud will harvest this canola before the bees come to the county to pollinate the carrot fields.

Cloud will let these pods dry before he harvests the tiny seeds inside.