MBOLD seeks a consultant to lead development of “Million Acre” Winter Camelina Roadmap

Cover crops can be an important tool in the toolbox to build soil health, protect our water, and create new income opportunities for farmers in our region. However, adoption at scale has been limited. Winter camelina is a harvestable winter annual oilseed with all the benefits of a cover crop that also has the potential to bring new animal feed ingredients and low-carbon vegetable oil to market.

While acreage is currently modest, winter camelina is on a strong growth trajectory and we are looking to the future and exploring what it would take to bring camelinato scale. Project co-leader University of Minnesota Forever Green Initiative, with co-leadership by MBOLD and a cross-sector core team, is seeking a consultant to lead development of a roadmap to chart the path to the first million acres of winter camelina in the Upper Midwest. Key components of this consulting opportunity include modeling farmer and supply-chain economics, regulatory barriers, market opportunities for camelina in a range of industries, and needed capital investments.

Prospective consultants should apply by July 21, 2025, through the University of Minnesota bidding portal, MBid. All questions regarding the RFP must be submitted through the MBid Q&A process. For additional information, please contact Colin Cureton at the UMN Forever Green Initiative (cure0012@umn.edu or 612-750-4967). For more insight on the lessons being learned about camelina production, please check out this joint report from MBOLD and Forever Green.

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