[rustyme]

This something I am doing at the moment , and thought it may be of interest to others.
  I am growing sunflowers to produce oil to use for cooking and as fuel . Even the used cooking oil can be filtered and still used as fuel to run any diesel engine , wether it be a car, 4x4, tractor, generator whatever. In some engines it can be used as is (raw) and in others it can be turned into bio diesel and then used. It is in fact better for your engine than petro diesel. But even if you don't want to grow loads for fuel , most could grow enough for cooking oil, 40%-50% of the weight of the seed is in fact oil . Also , the waste product (cake ) is a very good animal feed and the stems could be used as compost , fuel , or maybe even ensiled for animal feed . I have put on a few links for those who may be interested.
 
http://www.jeffersoninstitute.org/pubs/sunflower.shtml
http://www.trinity-research.co.uk/index.php
http://www.off-grid.net/2008/05/29/making-homebrew-diesel/
http://www.piteba.com/index.html
http://www.energyfarms.net/taxonomy/term/144
 
cheers

Russ

[MrRee]

Great links Russ, I'm growing some at the top of the plot to provide a windbreak,but primarily for chicken feed.They love the heads hung up so they can peck,keeps them interested and away from the pigs.
  Funnily enough,I planted out 3 rows and then Carly thinned them out and got another 3 rows. Begrudgingly,I have to admit,the thinnings are doing better than the ones left behind,no idea why,every thing is the same. Anyway,might have to save a few heads to try and make some oil. Thanks again...... Ree

[rustyme]

hello Ree,
 you are welcome mate ....there is some good reading on the links , well, good if you are even mildly interested ... Willow would make a good windbreak too ..and you could then make baskets , furniture , fences , fire wood , charcoal and more than a few other things from you windbreak  But sunflowers are very good at being a multi role product anyway . You could use a hydraulic press and a length of pipe, with lots of holes drilled in it, to press the oil . You could even make a wooden one like the cider press on this link:
http://www.ukcider.co.uk/wiki/index.php/Homemade_Cider_Press

You would then have a dual purpose press to press the oil from the sunflower seed and the waste cake to feed a bullock up for meat , you could then cook the meat on a bbq that is fired by charcoal made from willow grown as your windbreak . The oil could then run a genny to provide leccy for your tv, so you could watch the football while drinking some cider made with your dual purpose press.
    Anyway ... glad you liked the links ...lol.    cheers  Russ