is anyone growing biofuel? any ideas

my next year project is to grow about two acres of biofuel. staggered. a perennial crop hopefully then two annuals. i expect to be growing other things at the same time. on the land. I was thinking sunflowers. and something else. has anyone pulled this off yet and had any ideas I could look at.

I was looking for a solid oil. then a meal i could feed back to animals. I have no idea what I can do this is the first time ive tried for fuel. (other than the olive oil trees I have on site) but everyone really likes getting my olive oil as a xmas gift. so i dont think it's a good idea to waste it

Two acres can be planted and harvested by hand. But you can't fake the press. You can find Chinese presses, but even those are expensive.

Figure out the press before you go too far down this path. You may have something available in wine and olive country that may work for some crops but not others.

I grow potatoes, corn, peas, beans, and other vegetables and then I eat them. Then I use the fuel to do useful work like growing vegetables, weeding, and moving myself and my stuff from place to place.

My neighbor grows alfalfa, and uses it to fuel horses, which help with the hay harvest and with transportation.

My grandfather grew wood and used it to fuel a steam engine which was used to thresh the wheat harvest. My father grew wood and used it to fuel the wood stove which kept us warm in the winter. The trains that brought my ancestors to this place were fueled by wood.

Ethanol can be derived from most fruits or grains.

Methanol can be obtained by distilling wood.

Biodiesel can be derived from nuts or other seeds. In my climate, rape/canola is the most productive oil producing plant. I could burn walnut oil in the tractor, but why would I want to burn an oil that sells for around $64 per gallon? I certainly can't make walnut oil for such a low price.

Methane can be derived from anaerobic decomposition of organic materials, and burned as fuel directly, or compressed for transport.

R Scott wrote:Two acres can be planted and harvested by hand. But you can't fake the press. You can find Chinese presses, but even those are expensive.

Figure out the press before you go too far down this path. You may have something available in wine and olive country that may work for some crops but not others.

good point. if i use the olive press which is pretty much a lot like a cider press. style im not sure if i will get good yield for the work im gonna put in. i wil have to look into ebay and the over seas press market probably

Joseph Lofthouse wrote:I grow potatoes, corn, peas, beans, and other vegetables and then I eat them. Then I use the fuel to do useful work like growing vegetables, weeding, and moving myself and my stuff from place to place.

My neighbor grows alfalfa, and uses it to fuel horses, which help with the hay harvest and with transportation.

My grandfather grew wood and used it to fuel a steam engine which was used to thresh the wheat harvest. My father grew wood and used it to fuel the wood stove which kept us warm in the winter. The trains that brought my ancestors to this place were fueled by wood.

Ethanol can be derived from most fruits or grains.

Methanol can be obtained by distilling wood.

Biodiesel can be derived from nuts or other seeds. In my climate, rape/canola is the most productive oil producing plant. I could burn walnut oil in the tractor, but why would I want to burn an oil that sells for around $64 per gallon? I certainly can't make walnut oil for such a low price.

Methane can be derived from anaerobic decomposition of organic materials, and burned as fuel directly, or compressed for transport.

thanks for the ideas. i dont drive that much i normally walk or take my bike but for the times i do walk or need to use the tractor i want to be able to. add to the fact i also want to be able to sell it if need be for extra cash if i dont need it.