While corn, soybeans and wheat dominate Minnesota’s fields each summer, winter-hardy annual crops hold great potential to augment current crop rotations, providing new cash cover crops for the state’s agricultural sector. Join AURI Connects: Fields of Innovation on Friday, February 26^th as we discuss new market opportunities for two promising winter oilseed crops: winter camelina and pennycress. We will be joined by university and industry experts currently working to develop and commercialize these cover crops.

• Winter Camelina: is an oilseed crop dating to pre-Roman times. It produces a high-quality edible oil with very high levels of D-linolenic acid, which is a heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid, and tocopherol that adds nutritive value and long shelf-life to its oil. It can also serve as a companion crop to soybeans and in small grain rotations.

• Pennycress: is an extremely hardy winter oilseed. Pennycress oil is exceptionally cost-effective for making advanced biofuels. While traditional field pennycress is nonedible, researchers are developing new varietals with potential for human and animal nutrition uses.

Join us on February 26^th to learn more about winter oilseed crops, their potential uses, and how cash cover crops can provide producers with both economical and sustainable options to diversify crop rotations, protect and improve soil health, and grow new markets.

The conversation is ongoing at the Fields of Innovation Facebook Group.

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AURI Connects: Fields of Innovation is a platform focused on bringing together Minnesota’s regional ag and food value chains to build capacity and successfully commercialize new and emerging crops. Events focus on highlighting promising new crops, examining market opportunities for emerging crops, and highlighting new technologies in existing crops. To learn more about upcoming webinars and watch past recordings, visit us at www.auri.org/fields-of-innovation.