News Release Native Seedsters, Inc. Announces USDA/SBIR Award to Test Breakthrough Harvest technology for Biofuel-rich Camelina and Canola. Billings, MT June 6, 2008 - Native Seedsters, Inc (NSI) announced an $80,000 Phase I USDA Small Business Innovation and Research grant to apply Seedster technology for camelina and canola seed harvest. Camelina has oils rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and is also an efficient biofuel source. The by-product of crushing for oil is a high protein meal for poultry and livestock feed. After developing a line of highly efficient and cost effective harvesters for native grass seed and a specialized model for switchgrass that outperforms competition, NSI is excited to focus its design team on another crop of the future. Native Seedsters seeks to add an efficient camelina harvester to its effective switchgrass seed harvester to play a key role in the biofuel industry. This grant will be used to develop and test several design elements of the Seedster technology to result in an optimum configuration capable of harvesting camelina and canola. The project will be carried out over summer 2008 in various locations in Montana. Harvest tests on camelina with a Seedster prior to proposal submission illustrated that configurations of brush and combs pluck both camelina seed and un-popped pods. The overarching SBIR objective is increased seed recovery and reduced percentage of impurities in the harvested material. The principal investigator for Phase I will be NSI chief scientist Mark Majerus. The project director will be NSI CEO Lee Arbuckle. The supporting team includes design engineers, a manufacturer, plant scientists, and a market researcher. The team will test different combinations of brush diameters and comb shapes. Phase I work will position NSI for in depth testing of the most promising alternatives in Phase II. Testing of Canola will be introduced in Phase II. The publication Business Week reported in 2007 (Feb 16, 2007) that investment in biofuels was up from $110.5 Million in 2005 to $740 Million in 2006, with $261 Million going to the pockets of biodiesel producers. Final figures for 2007 have not been released but are likely to have been higher, because of Congressional action that provide incentives to the budding industry. The increased yield potential of species such as switchgrass, camelina and canola encourages investment in pursuit of profits coupled with their biofuel and by-product potential will likely result in a major market for these seeds. For additional information on the breakthrough harvester for biofuel-rich camelina and canola, contact Lee or Maggie Arbuckle or visit www.nativeseedsters.com. ABOUT Native Seedsters, Inc. |