Sustainable Oils is announcing new camelina seed distribution partners for the 2011-2012 growing season in California. The Wilbur-Ellis Company and AgSeeds Unlimited will both be selling camelina seed and providing agronomic services to California growers who grow the new oilseed crop for Sustainable Oils.

Growers who sign camelina production contracts with Sustainable Oils are also eligible to enroll in the new Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) announced in July by the U.S.  Department of Agriculture. The program will provide support to growers who plant the oilseed crop for production of advanced biofuels. The enrollment period runs from Aug. 8 through Sept. 16, and growers can sign up at their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office.

"Sustainable Oils is excited to be working with two strong partners as we introduce camelina production to California growers," said Scott Johnson, president of Sustainable Oils.  "Camelina can be an excellent rotation crop for growers in the California inland valleys, and we're looking forward to building a strong foundation for camelina production in California."

For more information about production opportunities in California, growers can contact Tom Prata at The Wilbur Ellis Company at 559-304-1353, or Scot Goble at AgSeeds Unlimited at 559-730-8400.  Information about Sustainable Oils and camelina production is also available at www.susoils.com.

Sustainable Oils, a leading producer and marketer of camelina, has been producing camelina in Montana and southern Canada for four years. The 2011 season will be its first year offering production contracts in California.

In California, camelina is expected to be a good option in a dryland fallow cropping system, or in fields that have been taken out of irrigation with water redistribution. Under typical growing conditions, in the Southern San Joaquin Valley, a targeted plant date would be Nov. 1, with projected harvest between April 15 through May 15. Camelina typically requires fewer inputs than other crops and has been historically proven to produce a commercially viable crop with 6 to 8 inches of seasonal rains, depending on soil type.

Sustainable Oils has provided nearly 500,000 gallons of camelina-based jet fuel to multiple branches of the US military for its certification programs, making it the most heavily tested alternative fuel feedstock.

Since its founding in 2007, Sustainable Oils has played a leading role in building the foundation for a strong, sustainable camelina industry. The company has invested in North America's largest camelina research program with a goal of bringing improved camelina varieties to growers even more quickly. Sustainable Oils has also invested in research and partnered with industry groups to secure approvals for feeding camelina meal, a co-product of camelina processing, to livestock.

Sustainable Oils is a contracted supplier to AltAir Fuels, the sponsor of the BCAP program. Camelina oil produced by Sustainable Oils growers for this program will be delivered to Alt Air Fuels for refining into bio-jet fuel for commercial aviation.